Veterans Day2026 · Date · History
Title 5 of the U.S. Code lists Veterans Day on November 11 as a legal public holiday, and the Department of Veterans Affairs confirms that Veterans Day is officially observed on November 11.
About Veterans Day
Veterans Day is a United States federal legal public holiday observed on November 11.
The date grew out of Armistice Day remembrance after World War I and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor American veterans more broadly.
Why Veterans Day matters
Veterans Day is distinct from Memorial Day: its federal purpose centers on honoring veterans who served, while Memorial Day is devoted to remembering those who died in military service.
Its legal history matters because the holiday temporarily moved to the fourth Monday in October before Congress restored November 11.
History of Veterans Day
President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11, 1919 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.
An Act approved May 13, 1938 made November 11 a legal holiday known as Armistice Day.
Public Law 83-380, approved June 1, 1954, changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
The Uniform Holiday Bill of 1968 moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October; the first observance under that rule occurred on October 25, 1971.
Public Law 94-97, approved September 18, 1975, restored November 11 as Veterans Day effective January 1, 1978.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Armistice Day
The first presidential Armistice Day commemoration developed into a legal holiday in 1938 and was renamed Veterans Day by Congress in 1954.
United States Congress
Public Law 83-380
Veterans Day was moved from November 11 to the fourth Monday in October, with the first observance under the new schedule occurring in 1971.
United States Congress · Public Law 90-363 (Uniform Monday Holiday Act)
Congress restored November 11 as Veterans Day, effective January 1, 1978.
United States Congress · Public Law 94-97
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs / Veterans Day National Committee
VA’s current bylaws state that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs leads the Veterans Day National Committee coordinating the national observance.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
Also known as
Day of the Veterans, Veterans Day
How to Observe Veterans Day
Use November 11 as the official federal holiday date.
Keep Armistice Day as the predecessor name rather than treating it as a separate modern federal holiday.
When explaining the October period, note that the change came from the Uniform Holiday Act and was later reversed.
Use current VA materials for national ceremony information and current U.S. Code for legal-holiday status.
Veterans Day Facts
Veterans Day is listed in 5 U.S.C. §6103 as November 11.
The first Armistice Day commemoration described by VA was November 11, 1919.
Congress made November 11 a legal Armistice Day holiday in 1938.
The holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.
Congress restored November 11 after a period when Veterans Day was observed on the fourth Monday in October.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
GovInfo (opens in a new tab)
U.S. Code — 5 USC 6103 Holidays (opens in a new tab)
Federal Statute
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (opens in a new tab)
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (opens in a new tab)
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — Veterans Day facts (opens in a new tab)
Federal Agency
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Veterans Day?
11 November annually The documented recurrence rule is: 11 November.
Does Veterans Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Veterans Day an official public holiday?
Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as United States / federal legal public holiday. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.
Who established or recognizes Veterans Day?
The reviewed sources identify United States Congress as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs / Veterans Day National Committee.
Is Veterans Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / federal legal public holiday.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is Veterans Day?
Veterans Day is officially observed on November 11.
Was Veterans Day always called Veterans Day?
No. Its predecessor was Armistice Day; Congress changed the name to Veterans Day in 1954.
Was Veterans Day ever observed in October?
Yes. Federal law moved it to the fourth Monday in October beginning in 1971, but a 1975 law restored November 11 effective in 1978.
Other observances on November 11
These observances are also listed on November 11, 2026.
11 November — anniversary of the 1918 Armistice and annual commemoration of Victory and Peace
French official remembrance guidance cites the 1922 law fixing the annual Victory and Peace commemoration on 11 November, the anniversary of the 1918 Armistice; current law also extends the…
Armistice 1918
France’s official Service-Public holiday tables list Armistice 1918 on 11 November in the overseas legal-holiday framework, supporting the fixed date applicable to French Guiana within that…
Bhai Duj / Bhai Dooj
Government of India tourism material describes Bhai Dooj as a Hindu/South Asian sibling festival in the Diwali cycle and gives Wednesday, 11 November for 2026; a Government of India restric…
Dia da Independência Nacional
Angola government material identifies 11 November as National Independence Day and commemorates the proclamation of independence in 1975.
National Education Day (Rashtriya Shiksha Diwas)
India’s Press Information Bureau states that National Education Day is celebrated every November 11 in honour of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Remembrance Day
Veterans Affairs Canada and the Department of National Defence identify Remembrance Day as November 11 and provide official remembrance guidance and ceremony context.