Origins of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a holiday that honors those who have died in the nation’s wars. The holiday originated during the American Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle. Two years after the establishment of Decoration Day by the Ladies’ Memorial Association of Columbus on April 26, 1866, the first national observance of Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868, and was proclaimed by Commander in Chief John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic to honor the Union soldiers who had died in the Civil War. John Logan took many of the same customs from Decoration Day. The holiday is now designated as an annual day of remembrance to honor all those who have died in service to the United States during peace and war.

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Official recognition as a holiday spread among the states, beginning with New York in 1873. By 1890, every Union state had adopted it. The world wars turned it into a day of remembrance for all members of the U.S. military who fought and died in service. In 1968, Congress changed its observance to the last Monday in May, and in 1971 standardized its name as "Memorial Day".