FIVE FACTS ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY

FIVE FACTS ABOUT MEMORIAL DAY

(Source: The History Channel)

1. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. On May 5, 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month, on May 30.
2. With World War I, the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars.
3. Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971.
4. Memorial Day for decades was celebrated on May 30. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Effective in 1971, Memorial Day became a three-day weekend for federal employees.
5. Memorial Day unofficially marks the beginning of summer.

HT