10 Historical Facts about Memorial Day

Post On: July 14, 2018
By: Andi
In: Events

10 historical facts about memorial day tell about a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. It is time for us to know more about this event through reading the explanation below.

Facts about memorial day 1: The Beginning of Memorial Day

In fact, decorating soldier’s graves is an ancient custom. Some people convince that the culture that cemetery decoration began before the American Civil War and hence may reflect the real origin of the “memorial day” idea.

Facts about memorial day 2: Warrenton, Virginia

Warrenton, Virginia is the very first place of the Civil War soldier’s grave ever to be decorated, on June 3, 1861, based on the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper article in 1906.

facts about memorial day

Facts about memorial day 3: The History of Memorial Day in the North

A “Decoration Day” was proclaimed by General John A. Logan on May 5, 1868, to be observed annually and nationwide. Through his proclamation, Logan adopted the Memorial Day practice that had begun in the Southern states three years earlier. On May 30, 1868, the first Memorial Day was observed.

Facts about memorial day 4: The History of Memorial Day in the South

Women in Columbus, Mississippi who laid flowers in the graves of both Union and Confederate dead in the city’s Friendship Cemetery, claimed to be the first “Decoration Day”.

Facts about memorial day 5: The History of Memorial Day at Gettysburg

The memorial day at Gettysburg National Park became nationally known since 1868.  In July 1913, the veterans and Confederate of the United States gathered in Gettysburg to commemorate the fifty-year anniversary of the Civil War’s bloodiest.

Facts about memorial day 6: Memorial Day in the 20th Century

Memorial Day was not familiar until after World War II, and it was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. The dates of memorial day moved from May 30 date to the last Monday in May.

facts about memorial day

Facts about memorial day 7: The Memorial Day in the 21st Century

The United States flag is raised briskly to the top of the stick and then solemnly lower to the half-staff position during Memorial Day, it conducts until noon. It is then raised to full-staff for the remainder of the day. On the Memorial Day, across the United States, attending the thousands of parades held not only in the large cities but also in the small one. Also, during the memorial day, The National Memorial Day Concert was held and it takes place in the west lawn of the United States Capitol.

Facts about memorial day 8: The Films

There are some films that have memorial day theme including Memorial Day (2012) is a war film starring James Cromwell, Jonathan Bennett, and John Cromwell and Logan Lucky (2017) starring Channing Tatum.

Facts about memorial day 9:

facts about memorial day

Facts about memorial day 10: The Poetry

Amazingly, many poetries that commemorate the memorial day. For example, Michael Anania’s “Memorial Day” written in 1994, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s ” Decoration Day” that created in 1882, and Joyce Kilmer’s “Memorial Day”.

Do you like reading this article titled 10 historical facts about memorial day?


Tags: