What is Veterans Day?

11 November marks the armistice that ended World War I. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the guns on the Western Front fell silent as the Armistice between the Allied nations and Germany came into force. The date is observed under different names in different countries: Armistice Day, Remembrance Day, Poppy Day (in the UK and Commonwealth), and Veterans Day in the United States.

In the United States, the holiday was known as Armistice Day until 1954, when President Eisenhower signed legislation renaming it Veterans Day — broadening the scope from World War I to honour all American military veterans, both living and deceased. This distinguishes it from Memorial Day, which specifically honours those who died in service. Veterans Day is a federal holiday and is always observed on 11 November itself.

In the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and many Commonwealth countries, 11 November is Remembrance Day, marked by the wearing of red poppies — a symbol from the poem "In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. A two-minute silence is observed at 11:00 AM, and wreaths are laid at war memorials. In France and Belgium, 11 November is a statutory holiday commemorating Armistice Day.