96 Fun Facts About Memorial Day

Which president spoke at the 1913 Gettysburg reunion of Union and Confederate veterans?

Woodrow Wilson addressed the 50th-anniversary Gettysburg reunion on July 4, 1913, four months into his presidency, before tens of thousands of Union and Confederate veterans.

A May 2000 Gallup poll found that what share of Americans knew the true meaning of Memorial Day?

Only 28% of Americans knew the holiday's true purpose in the May 2000 Gallup poll, a finding that helped drive the creation of the National Moment of Remembrance later that year.

Between April and September, how often is the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

The guard changes every half-hour from April 1 through September 30, hourly from October through March, and every two hours overnight while Arlington is closed to visitors.

Which US state, in 1873, was the first to make the day an official state holiday?

New York made Decoration Day a legal state holiday in 1873; every Northern state had followed by 1890, while Southern states kept separate days for their Confederate dead.

What was Memorial Day originally called?

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, because mourners would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags.

Which US holiday honors all who served, living or dead, and falls on November 11?

Veterans Day (November 11) honors all who have served in the U.S. military, while Memorial Day specifically honors those who died in service.

What is the famous national cemetery in Virginia where many fallen soldiers are buried?

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, is the most well-known military cemetery in the U.S. and hosts major Memorial Day ceremonies each year.

Memorial Day weekend is often considered the unofficial start of what season?

Memorial Day weekend is widely considered the unofficial start of summer in the United States, marking the beginning of vacation season, outdoor activities, and pool openings.

What war originally gave rise to the tradition that became Memorial Day?

Memorial Day originated after the Civil War (1861-1865), which was the deadliest conflict in American history. Communities began decorating the graves of fallen soldiers shortly after the war ended.

At what hour are Americans asked to pause for the National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day?

Public Law 106-579 asks everyone to pause for a minute of silence at that hour, wherever they happen to be.

What is the name of the bugle call traditionally played at military funerals and Memorial Day ceremonies?

Taps was arranged at Harrison's Landing, Virginia, in July 1862 as a lights-out call for the Army of the Potomac; Army regulations made it a standard part of military funerals in 1891.

Until noon on Memorial Day, US flags fly at what position?

Half-staff until noon honours the fallen; the flag is first run briskly to the top, and at noon it goes back up for the resolve of the living.

What major auto race is traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend?

The Indianapolis 500, held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, has been run on or near Memorial Day weekend since 1911. It is one of the most prestigious auto races in the world.

Which term, dating to the service flags of World War I, describes families who have lost a member in military service?

Gold Star is the term, dating to World War I service flags, for the loss of a family member in military service; charities now exist specifically for Gold Star mothers and Gold Star wives.

Which U.S. president signed the act moving Memorial Day to the last Monday in May?

Johnson signed the act on June 28, 1968, and it took effect at the federal level in 1971, creating a guaranteed three-day weekend.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, completed in 1982 and later joined by the Three Servicemen statue, is commonly called what?

The Wall's two black granite walls were completed in 1982 and later joined by the Three Servicemen statue in 1984 and the Vietnam Women's Memorial in 1993.

Which 1915 poem by Canadian physician John McCrae inspired the remembrance poppy, worn on Memorial Day?

In Flanders Fields was written on May 3, 1915, after McCrae presided over the funeral of a friend killed at the Second Battle of Ypres; Moina Michael promoted the poppy it inspired.

Which decoration outranks every other in the US military?

It recognizes gallantry 'above and beyond the call of duty' and goes to soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen alike.

Which National Mall memorial features 19 stainless steel statues of soldiers on patrol?

The Korean War Veterans Memorial features 19 stainless steel statues representing a squad on patrol, wearing ponchos and carrying equipment. The statues are reflected in a polished granite wall, symbolically doubling the count to 38 — representing the 38th parallel.

On what date was Memorial Day originally observed before the Uniform Monday Holiday Act?

Memorial Day was observed on May 30 from the first national observance until 1970, reportedly because that date was no battle's anniversary; the last-Monday observance began in 1971.

Which Grand Army of the Republic commander issued General Order No. 11, calling for a day to decorate soldiers' graves?

John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, issued General Order No. 11 on May 5, 1868, calling for the graves of the Union dead to be decorated later that month.

Arlington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier contains unidentified remains from how many wars?

Three unknowns rest there: the World War I unknown interred in 1921 and the World War II and Korean War unknowns added in 1958; the Vietnam crypt, filled in 1984, has been empty since 1998.

What year was the first national Decoration Day observed?

The first national Decoration Day was held in 1868, three years after the Civil War ended, with a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery attended by some 5,000 people.

Who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.?

Maya Lin designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when she was a 21-year-old architecture student at Yale University. Her design was selected from 1,421 entries in an open competition in 1981.

What does a Blue Star on a service flag signify?

The service flag is a white banner with a red border, hung in a window with one blue star for each family member in the armed forces during a period of hostilities.

The World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. features 56 pillars. What do they represent?

The 56 granite pillars represent the 48 U.S. states, 7 federal territories, and the District of Columbia as they existed during World War II.

Which town was declared the 'official' birthplace of Memorial Day by a 1966 presidential proclamation?

Waterloo, New York was named Memorial Day's birthplace by President Johnson's 1966 proclamation, citing a community-wide observance there on May 5, 1866, though historians and several other towns dispute the claim.

Roughly how many names are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.?

About 58,000 names (58,320 as of 2018) are inscribed across the two walls' 140 name panels; names have been added over the years as cases were resolved.

The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved how many federal holidays to Mondays?

Four holidays were moved: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Columbus Day (newly made federal), all shifted to Mondays to guarantee three-day weekends when the act took effect in 1971.

The Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington depicts a wartime flag raising on which Pacific island?

The sculpture shows six Marines raising the flag on Mount Suribachi on February 23, 1945; the memorial stands in Arlington Ridge Park.

Which future president gave the address at the first national Decoration Day ceremony at Arlington?

James A. Garfield, then an Ohio congressman and former Union major general, gave the address to a crowd of more than 5,000 at Arlington; he was elected president twelve years later, in 1880.

What inscription is carved on the west panel of the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington?

'Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known But to God' is carved on the west panel facing the Memorial Amphitheater; the east panel, facing Washington, carries three Greek figures for Peace, Victory and Valor.

Since what year has the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier been guarded 24 hours a day, every day?

The first 24-hour guard was posted at the Tomb at midnight on 2 July 1937, and the watch has run continuously ever since. A civilian guard was first posted in November 1925 and a military guard from March 1926, but only during daylight hours; the tomb itself dates to 1921.

How many steps does the sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier take before turning to face the tomb?

The sentinel takes 21 steps, pauses for 21 seconds facing the tomb, then turns and pauses 21 seconds before walking 21 steps back. The number 21 represents the highest military honor, the 21-gun salute.

In which city did formerly enslaved people parade on May 1, 1865 to honor Union dead at a Confederate prison camp?

In Charleston, South Carolina, on May 1, 1865, thousands of freed people and Black Union troops paraded to honor 257 Union prisoners buried at the Washington Race Course; historian David Blight calls it the first Memorial Day.

Which Frenchwoman, 'The Poppy Lady from France', pitched a Poppy Day to the American Legion in 1920?

Anna Guérin, 'The Poppy Lady from France', pitched Poppy Day to the American Legion's September 1920 convention in Cleveland to raise funds for war-ravaged France; she is credited with spreading the poppy internationally.

The Purple Heart descends from the Badge of Military Merit, established in 1782 by whom?

George Washington created the Badge of Military Merit, a heart of purple cloth, by order from his Newburgh, New York headquarters on August 7, 1782; the Purple Heart medal revived it in 1932.

What is the Purple Heart medal awarded for?

The Purple Heart marks being wounded or killed in action; it is awarded in the president's name for wounds or death in service on or after April 5, 1917, and more than a million were awarded in World War II.

In which year did federal law finally declare 'Memorial Day' the holiday's official name?

Congress made 'Memorial Day' the holiday's official name in 1967; the name overtook 'Decoration Day' in popular usage after World War II, decades before it became official.

Which section of Arlington National Cemetery holds many of the dead from Iraq and Afghanistan?

Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery became the main burial ground for service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan after 2001, and it draws many families each Memorial Day.

Which NYC borough has held a Memorial Day parade since 1867 and claims it as the nation's oldest?

Brooklyn's parade, now held in Bay Ridge, has marched since 1867 and bills itself as the nation's oldest, though Rochester, Wisconsin also dates its parade to 1867.

Who was the Vietnam War unknown soldier at Arlington, later identified by DNA testing?

Blassie, an Air Force pilot shot down near An Lộc in 1972, was reburied at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in his native St. Louis.

Moina Michael, the 'Poppy Lady', was on leave from a professorship at which university?

Moina Michael, on leave from teaching at the University of Georgia, was volunteering with the YMCA's overseas war secretaries in New York in November 1918 when she vowed to always wear a red poppy.

Which branch of the military guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?

The 3rd Infantry Regiment, 'The Old Guard', is the oldest active regiment in the Regular Army, first organized as the First American Regiment in 1784.

Approximately how many American service members have died in all U.S. wars combined?

Combat and non-combat military deaths across all U.S. wars from 1775 onward total more than 1.3 million. The Civil War alone accounts for an estimated 655,000 Union and Confederate deaths — more than any other conflict in American history.

What put the Memorial Day National Moment of Remembrance into law in 2000?

It was first proclaimed for that May's holiday and written into law as Public Law 106-579 in December, which also set up a White House Commission on Remembrance.

Which AP photographer took the 1945 Marines flag-raising picture on Mount Suribachi?

Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press shot the flag-raising on February 23, 1945; it won the Pulitzer Prize that year, became one of history's most reproduced photos and inspired the Marine Corps War Memorial.

In which Illinois city was the Grand Army of the Republic founded in 1866?

The Grand Army of the Republic was founded in Decatur, Illinois on April 6, 1866 by Benjamin F. Stephenson; it grew into a powerful veterans' lobby with more than 400,000 members by 1890.

Which Confederate general's family estate was seized to create Arlington National Cemetery?

Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Custis Lee owned Arlington; the estate was seized after an 1864 tax dispute, the Supreme Court ruled the seizure unlawful in 1882, and the family sold it back for $150,000.

Which Union quartermaster general chose the Arlington estate as a new military cemetery in 1864?

Montgomery C. Meigs, the Union's quartermaster general, proposed Arlington in June 1864; his staff liked the high ground that would not flood, and burying Union dead beside the mansion had a punitive appeal.

Which National Mall memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day in 1922?

The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 1922, with President Harding speaking and Chief Justice Taft, who chaired the memorial commission, presiding; Lincoln's surviving son Robert attended.

The marble for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was quarried in which state?

The tomb's 56-ton center block was cut from a 124-ton piece of Yule marble quarried near Marble, Colorado, the same stone used for the Lincoln Memorial's exterior; quarrying took 75 men a year.

How did Sgt. Edward Younger pick the World War I Unknown from four identical caskets in 1921?

He chose the second casket from the right at the city hall in Chalons-en-Champagne, France.

Which ship carried the World War I Unknown Soldier home from France?

USS Olympia, Commodore Dewey's flagship at Manila Bay in 1898, carried the Unknown from Le Havre to the Washington Navy Yard in November 1921; she has been preserved as a museum ship in Philadelphia since the late 1950s.

Which president officiated at the burial of the World War I Unknown Soldier at Arlington?

Warren G. Harding presided over the ceremony on Armistice Day, November 11, 1921, after the Unknown had lain in state in the Capitol Rotunda.

Which president signed the bill to honor Unknowns from World War II and Korea?

Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill in 1956; both Unknowns were interred on Memorial Day 1958, and the former general awarded each the Medal of Honor.

As of 2025, which rifle did sentinels at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier carry?

Tomb sentinels have carried the ceremonial M14 rifle for decades; earlier guards carried the M1903 Springfield and M1 Garand, and the sidearm as of 2025 is a Sig Sauer M17, adopted in 2018.

What replaced the word 'Vietnam' on the crypt slab after that Unknown was identified in 1998?

The crypt was deliberately left vacant; the new slab reads 'Honoring and Keeping Faith with America's Missing Servicemen 1958-1975.'

Why do Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sentinels wear sunglasses?

Sentinels wear sunglasses because of the glare reflecting off the white marble of the tomb and plaza; their shoes also hide metal plates in the soles, which give the signature click on each turn.

What makes the Tomb Guard Identification Badge unique among US Army badges?

The Old Guard's regimental commander can strip it from any past or present guard who discredits the Tomb.

Who carved the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier's sculpted block, as well as the Lincoln Memorial statue?

The six Piccirilli brothers ran a Bronx studio and worked under sculptor Thomas Hudson Jones's direction.

Why was the late-May date reportedly chosen for the first national Decoration Day?

Flowers would be in bloom in the North by late May, the reason usually given for the date; another account says it was picked precisely because it was not the anniversary of any battle.

Women decorating both Union and Confederate graves at a Mississippi cemetery in 1866 inspired which poem?

'The Blue and the Gray' by Francis Miles Finch appeared in The Atlantic Monthly in September 1867, inspired by the Mississippi women's even-handed gesture, and became a staple of reconciliation-era ceremonies.

Which Pennsylvania town claims to be Memorial Day's birthplace, citing 1864 grave decorating?

Boalsburg, Pennsylvania dates its claim to three women who decorated soldiers' graves in October 1864; a bronze statue of them stands at the entrance to the town cemetery.

Which Ohio town has held a Memorial Day parade every year since 1868?

Ironton, Ohio has marched every year since 1868 and calls its parade the nation's oldest continuously held; Grafton, West Virginia also dates its parade to 1868, while Rochester, Wisconsin claims 1867.

In what year was the name 'Memorial Day' first used?

The name 'Memorial Day' was first used in 1882, but it only overtook 'Decoration Day' in common use after World War II, decades before Congress made it the official name.

Who won the first Indianapolis 500, run on Decoration Day in 1911?

Ray Harroun won the inaugural 1911 race in a Marmon Wasp and is often credited with using the first rear-view mirror on a car in place of a riding mechanic.

The 1937 Memorial Day massacre in Chicago occurred during a strike against which steelmaker?

Chicago police killed ten demonstrators outside Republic Steel's South Chicago plant on Memorial Day 1937; U.S. Steel had signed a union contract, but the smaller 'Little Steel' firms including Republic refused, prompting the strike.

The National Memorial Day Concert on the Capitol's west lawn has been held since what year?

The concert has been held on the Capitol's west lawn since 1989, typically on the Sunday before the holiday; actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise co-hosted it for more than a decade.

Which network broadcasts the National Memorial Day Concert?

PBS has broadcast the concert live since its early years; it also reaches troops in more than 175 countries and on over 200 Navy ships via the American Forces Network.

In what year did the VFW register the 'Buddy Poppy' name?

The VFW registered the 'Buddy Poppy' name with the U.S. Patent Office in February 1924, by which time its poppies were assembled by disabled American veterans rather than imported from France.

John McCrae wrote 'In Flanders Fields' after presiding over the funeral of which friend?

Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, a close friend, was killed by a shell on May 2, 1915; McCrae presided at his burial and wrote the poem the next day, reportedly discarding it until fellow officers retrieved it.

'In Flanders Fields' was first published in December 1915 by which London magazine?

Punch published 'In Flanders Fields' anonymously on December 8, 1915, after The Spectator had rejected it; the poem quickly became the war's most popular.

Which Union general arranged Taps in its present form at Harrison's Landing in 1862?

Daniel Butterfield, commanding a brigade in the Army of the Potomac, reworked the earlier 'Scott Tattoo' with his bugler Oliver Norton, who first sounded the new call in July 1862.

At an 1862 burial, Taps was first sounded in place of what customary practice?

Captain John Tidball had Taps sounded at a cannoneer's burial at Harrison's Landing in 1862 instead of firing three rifle volleys, which might have provoked the nearby enemy; it became standard at military funerals in 1891.

The bugle call sounded at military funerals may derive from Dutch 'taptoe', meaning what?

'Taptoe' was the Dutch call for tavern keepers to close the beer taps and send soldiers to quarters; the same root gave us 'tattoo', while a rival theory points to the 'drum taps' struck after the evening call.

What message is inlaid in silver on a granite wall at the Korean War Veterans Memorial?

'Freedom Is Not Free' is inlaid in silver letters on the granite wall beside the Pool of Remembrance; nearby inscriptions list the numbers killed, wounded, missing and held prisoner.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995, the anniversary of what?

Presidents Bill Clinton and Kim Young Sam dedicated it together on the 42nd anniversary.

Each gold star on the World War II Memorial's Freedom Wall represents how many American dead?

Each of the Freedom Wall's 4,048 gold stars stands for 100 American military dead, more than 400,000 in all, above the message 'Here we mark the price of freedom'.

Which wartime graffiti is hidden in two spots on the World War II Memorial?

'Kilroy was here', the doodle of a long-nosed man peering over a wall that marked American presence wherever GIs went, is engraved in two hidden spots on the memorial.

Which president dedicated the World War II Memorial on the National Mall?

George W. Bush dedicated the memorial on May 29, 2004, a month after it opened to the public; President Clinton had attended its groundbreaking on Veterans Day 2000.

Which film inspired veteran Jan Scruggs to start the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund?

Scruggs, a wounded Army veteran, saw The Deer Hunter in March 1979 and conceived a memorial naming every American lost; the fund was incorporated that April, four years after the fall of Saigon.

The black granite of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was quarried in which country?

The black granite came from Bangalore, India, chosen for its reflective quality; it was cut in Barre, Vermont, and the names were inscribed in Memphis, Tennessee.

In what order are the names listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall?

Names run in order of casualty date: the list begins at the apex with July 8, 1959, runs to the end of the east wall, then resumes at the far end of the west wall, ending in 1975.

How many women's names are on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall?

All eight were nurses; a separate Vietnam Women's Memorial stands a short walk south of the wall.

Rolling Thunder's Memorial Day weekend motorcycle ride through Washington began at which landmark?

Riders staged in the Pentagon's north parking lot and crossed Memorial Bridge toward the Mall; a 'blessing of the bikes' at the National Cathedral preceded it on the Friday, and the DC run ended in 2019.

Which NASCAR race runs at Charlotte on Memorial Day weekend, the same day as the Indy 500?

The Coca-Cola 600, at 600 miles the longest race on the NASCAR schedule, carries the name of a fallen service member on each car's windshield under its '600 Miles of Remembrance' program.

On which day does the Old Guard's 'Flags-In' place a flag at every Arlington grave?

Flags-In has taken place on the Thursday before Memorial Day every year since 1948; soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment place a small US flag in front of each of Arlington's more than 260,000 headstones.

Texas calls its state holiday for the Confederacy's war dead by what name?

Texas has observed Confederate Heroes Day on January 19 since 1973, when it merged two earlier state observances into one; Tennessee calls its day Confederate Decoration Day.

By 1916, ten states marked Confederate Memorial Day on June 3, the birthday of which leader?

June 3 is Jefferson Davis's birthday (1808); other states chose late April days or May 10, the date Davis was captured in Georgia in 1865.

Which Israeli day of remembrance for fallen soldiers falls the day before Independence Day?

Yom HaZikaron precedes Independence Day (Yom HaAtzmaut) so that mourning passes directly into celebration; a one-minute siren stops the country at 8 p.m., followed by a two-minute siren at 11 the next morning.

On what date does South Korea observe its Memorial Day for those who died in military service?

South Korea's Memorial Day (Hyeonchungil) falls on June 6, marked by a nationwide siren and a minute of silence at 10 a.m.; June 25 is instead the anniversary of the Korean War's outbreak in 1950.

The Normandy American Cemetery in France sits on a bluff above which D-Day landing beach?

The cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooks Omaha Beach, where the American landings of June 6, 1944 were bloodiest; it holds 9,389 American dead across 172.5 acres.

Which president's son, a Medal of Honor recipient, is buried at the Normandy American Cemetery?

Theodore Roosevelt Jr. led troops ashore at Utah Beach; his brother Quentin, killed in WWI, was later reburied beside him.

Puowaina, the Hawaiian name of the Punchbowl crater cemetery in Honolulu, translates to what?

Puowaina means 'Hill of Sacrifice'; the crater was once a site of human sacrifice for taboo-breakers and later held ceremonial cannon under Kamehameha, before becoming the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in 1949.

Wreaths Across America began with a 1992 donation of surplus wreaths from which state?

Morrill Worcester of the Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine sent 5,000 surplus wreaths to Arlington in 1992; a 2005 photo of snow-covered headstones with wreaths went viral and made it a national event.