"Always wanted to meet a real-life superhero? Then you are in luck for November 11 is Veterans Day, an opportunity to thank the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, who often risk their lives to protect our freedom. This includes all those who have served in the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, Air Force, and the Coast Guard.
Formerly known as Armistice Day, the 100-year-old tradition was started by US President Woodrow Wilson on November 11, 1919, to commemorate World War I soldiers. The day marked the first anniversary of the November 11, 1918, armistice between the Allied Nations and Germany, which led to the end of the four-year, three-month-long “Great War.” Armistice Day, which became a federal US holiday in 1938, was renamed as Veterans Day in 1954 to include World War II (1939—1945) and Korean War (1950—1953) soldiers.
The 1968 Uniform Holiday Bill passed to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees altered the dates of the celebration of four national holidays — Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day — to Mondays. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. However, given the date's significance, many states were unhappy with the change and continued commemorating the holiday on November 11.
To end the confusion, on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law to return the celebration to its original date. The law went into effect in 1978, and since then, Veterans Day has always been observed on November 11."
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