World War I ended on November 11, 1918. Since then, November 11 has been
a holiday around the world, called Remembrance Day, Armistice Day, or
Memorial Day. But the United States already had a Memorial Day
to honor those who died in war, established after the Civil War.
Nevertheless, Armistice Day was commemorated in the US until 1954, when Veterans Day was established as a holiday.
But
back in 1921, it was Armistice Day, and the first War to End All Wars
was a fresh wound. That was the year that the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier was established at Arlington National Cemetery. An unidentified
American serviceman who died in combat in France was brought back to the
states and given a funeral on November 11, 100 years ago today.
The National Archives has partnered with Google Arts & Culture to create an online exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary if you want to explore further. (via Metafilter)
1 comment:
Canada did not dedicate a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at our National War Memorial until 2000. It holds the remains of an unknown Canadian soldier who died in the WW1 Battle of Vimy Ridge.
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