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

• Remembering Armistice Day with a Speech from Woodrow Wilson Teaching with the Library
• Primary Source Learning: Veteran Teaching Resources & Strategies
• Guided Primary Source Analysis: Bonus Veterans
• Learning from the Source: Digital Stories of Our Heroes
• 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 Round-Up: Primary Source Highlights for Veterans Day Teaching with the Library
• Celebrating Veterans Day In Custodia Legis
• The Eleventh Hour: Veterans Day 2011 Picture This
• “God Bless America” on Veterans Day In The Muse
• Happy Veterans Day! Timeless Stories from the Library of Congress
• Inquiring Minds: VHP Marks 15 Years Preserving Veterans’ Stories Timeless Stories from the Library
• Make a Poppy: Crafts and Remembrance for Veterans Day Minerva’s Kaleidoscope
• Making Veterans Day a Meaningful One Folklife Today
• The Past is Present: A Reflection on Civil War Veterans Picture This
• Sheet Music of the Week: “God Bless America” on Veterans Day In the Muse
• Veterans Day America’s Library
• Veterans Day In the Muse
• Veterans Day and Armistice Day — Composers in World War I NLS Music Notes
• Veterans Day: History and Legacy Teaching with the Library
• Veterans Day Playlist In the Muse
• Veterans Day: Struggling to Build a New Life after War Timeless Stories from the Library

Webcasts

• Veterans History Project 10th Anniversary
• Through Veterans’ Eyes: The Iraq and Afghanistan Experience

Related resources

• Primary Source Spotlight: Veterans Administration
• Today in History: Arlington National Cemetery
• Timely Connections: Immigrant Soldiers
• Finding Resources: Veterans History Project
• French & Indian War
• Revolutionary War
• War of 1812
• Mexican-American War
• U.S. Civil War
• Spanish-American War
• The West Point Atlas of American Wars Volume I 1689-1900
• World War I
• World War II
• Korean War
• Vietnam War
• September 11, 2001