As most everybody in the U.S. knows at this point, this coming Monday, May 31, 2010 is memorial. Most everybody knows that because unless you work in the restaurant business or the medical field, you probably have the day off work or school. Most people do not know the history of memorial day, until I did the research, I had no idea the history of memorial day either. Here are some facts to brush up on your history knowledge of memorial day...just in case anybody asks:
- The first official observance was of Memorial day was in 1971, but before Memorial Day, in 1868, the country observed Decoration Day.
- Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetary.
- During the first Decoration Day, 5,0000 people turned out at Arlington National Cemetery to decorate the graves of more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers.
- The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states.
- In the late 1800s more communities celebrated the day as Memorial Day and following World War I, Memorial Day observances began to honor all Americans killed in war. History.com notes, however, that it wasn't until 1971 Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday.
