Today in History: Veterans Day
Today in History–November 11–the Library of Congress features Veterans Day, first celebrated as Armistice Day on this date in 1919. Designated by President Woodrow Wilson on the date the Allied powers signed a ceasefire agreement with Germany, Armistice Day was designated Veterans Day in 1954 to honor veterans of all U.S. wars. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section and then clicking the links below to learn more about this celebration of veterans and from the experiences of those veterans.
Primary source collections
- Armistice Day image set
- Armistice Day historical newspaper coverage through 1922
- Modern-day legislation related to Armistice Day
- Veterans Day image set
- Modern-day legislation related to Veterans Day
- Experiencing War: Stories from the Veterans History Project, World War I to present
- Veterans sheet music
Teaching resources
- Guided Primary Source Analysis: Bonus Veterans
- Learning from the Source: Digital Stories of Our Heroes
- Primary Source Learning: Veteran Teaching Resources & Strategies
- Primary Source Learning: Personal Perspectives of World War I
- Civil War Images: Depictions of African Americans in the War Effort primary source set, including teacher’s guide
- Veterans’ Stories: Struggles for Participation primary source set, including teacher’s guide
- Veterans’ Stories: The Veterans History Project primary source set, including teacher’s guide
Articles
- Armistice Day/Veterans Day In Custodias Legis blog, November 7, 2013
- Blog Round-Up: Primary Source Highlights for Veterans Day Teaching with the Library of Congress, October 31, 2013
- Celebrating Veterans Day In Custodia Legis blog, November 11, 2011
- The Eleventh Hour: Veterans Day 2011 Picture This November 10, 2011
- “God Bless America” on Veterans Day In The Muse November 10, 2011
- Happy Veterans Day! Library of Congress blog, November 11, 2010
- Inquiring Minds: VHP Marks 15 Years Preserving Veterans’ Stories Library of Congress blog, November 11, 2015
- Making Veterans Day a Meaningful One Folklife Today November 10, 2014
- The Past is Present: A Reflection on Civil War Veterans Picture This November 9, 2017
- Sheet Music of the Week: “God Bless America” on Veterans Day In the Muse blog, November 10, 2011
- Through Veterans’ Eyes: The Iraq and Afghanistan Experience streaming webcast
- Veterans Day from America’s Library
- Veterans Day In the Muse blog, November 11, 2010
- Veterans Day and Armistice Day — Composers in World War I NLS Music Notes November 9, 2017
- Veterans Day: History and Legacy Teaching with the Library of Congress, November 10, 2015
- Veterans Day Playlist In the Muse November 10, 2016
- Veterans Day: Struggling to Build a New Life after War Library of Congress Blog November 9, 2017
- Veterans History Project 10th Anniversary streaming webcast
- Veterans History Project Hangout
Related resources
- Primary Source Spotlight: Veterans Administration
- Today in History: Arlington National Cemetery
- Timely Connections: Immigrant Soldiers
- Also see the Events themed link sets for resources related to U.S. wars and conflicts