November 11, 1918
Today the world war ended and November 11 "may become a national holiday." "Tremendous spontaneous celebrations through the nation several agencies begain laying plans to make the new holiday a lasting one," reports the Chicago Daily Tribune. Congress may be asled to "take up the matter in conjuction with legislative bodies of other countries" to arrange for an "official proclamation making the day one of annual world-wide celebration."
[On November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with lots of pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations." Armistice Day became an official Federal Holiday in 1938. In 1953, Al Davis, an Emporia, Kansas, store owner wanted the holiday to honor all Veterans. With the assistance of his local congressman, who helped sponsor a bill, Congress passed the new legislation in May 1954. President Eisenhower signed the bill into law on June 1, 1954 (just 13 days before I was born.) Since November 1954, the Federal holiday here in the USA is called Veterans Day. No apostrophe. http://www.history.army.mil/html/reference/holidays/vetsday/vetshist.html
November 11 is also commemorated in other countries, including the United Kingdom, where it is known as Remembrance Day, and a number of Commonwealth countries.]
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