- Overall, Veterans Day is a paid holiday for only 19% of American workers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Just 11% of private-sector workers get the day off.
- A traditional observation is a moment of silence at 11 a.m. remembering those who fought for peace. (Commemorates the cease-fire in the 1918 armistice, which was scheduled for “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.”)
- The last soldier killed in action in World War I was an American called Henry Gunther from Baltimore. He was killed 60 seconds before the armistice came into force while charging German troops who knew that the armistice was imminent. It was said that Gunther had been despondent over a recent reduction in rank and was trying to redeem his reputation.
- The day of recognition for Veterans of the Great War (World War I) on this date was first proclaimed by President Wilson on Nov. 11, 1919. In May 1938, the 11th of November in each year was declared a legal holiday and was known as “Armistice Day.”
- The war that claimed the most American lives was the Civil War, with over 618,000 deaths, compared to 416,000 in World War II.
- The Uniforms Holiday Bill was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays – Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production.
- Veterans Day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, isn’t spelled with an apostrophe before or after the “s,” because it’s not a day that belongs to veterans. It’s a day to honor them.
- Historically, Wisconsin has had a strong tradition of celebrating Armistice Day, which was the predecessor to Veterans Day. When the federal government renamed Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor all veterans of all wars in the 1950s, Wisconsin did not follow suit. Instead, Wisconsin continued to celebrate Armistice Day as a state holiday.
- There are currently about 19 million veterans living in the United States.
- California is home to the most veterans in the country, with 1.7 million. Texas and Florida follows with 1.5 million veterans.
Source: https://www.officeholidays.com/facts/veterans-day
