Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May, dedicated to honoring and mourning military personnel who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It serves as a solemn occasion for remembrance and is also widely considered the unofficial start of the summer season. The holiday provides an opportunity for the nation to reflect on the sacrifices made by service members and their families.
In 1904, the "History of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteers" was published, containing a footnote about Sophie (Keller) Hall and Emma Hunter decorating soldiers' graves in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1864, though details conflicted with later accounts.
In 1911, the scheduling of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway car race, later named the Indianapolis 500, was vehemently opposed by the increasingly elderly GAR on Memorial Day.
By 1913, David Blight argues that the theme of American nationalism shared equal time with the Confederate during Memorial Day rituals.
In 1913, an Indiana veteran complained about the tendency of younger people to forget the purpose of Memorial Day and treat it as a day for games and revelry.
In 1913, the four-day "Blue-Gray Reunion" was held in the national capital featuring parades, re-enactments, and speeches from dignitaries, including President Woodrow Wilson.
In 1915, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Fields", referencing poppies growing among soldiers' graves.
By 1916, ten states celebrated Confederate Memorial Day on June 3, the birthday of CSA President Jefferson Davis, while other states commemorated on dates in late April or May.
In 1920, the National American Legion adopted the poppy as its official symbol of remembrance, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields".
In 1923, the state legislature rejected holding the Indianapolis 500 race on Memorial Day, but Governor Warren McCray vetoed the bill and the race went on.
On May 26, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a presidential proclamation, designating Waterloo, New York, as the "official" birthplace of Memorial Day, following House Concurrent Resolution 587.
In 1967, "Memorial Day" was officially declared the name of the holiday by federal law.
On June 28, 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, to a specified Monday to create three-day weekends.
In 1971, Congress standardized the holiday as "Memorial Day" and changed its observance to the last Monday in May.
In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect at the federal level, changing the date of Memorial Day.
In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, asking people to stop and remember at 3:00 pm on Memorial Day.
In 2002, The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) advocated returning Memorial Day to its original date of May 30th.
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