Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans [the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)] established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Major General John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, NY, the birthplace of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1966, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War.

In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress and placed on the last Monday in May.

To ensure the sacrifices of America's fallen heroes are never forgotten, in December 2000, the President signed into law the National Moment of Remembrance Act (.PDF document), creating the White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance. The National Moment of Remembrance was created to encourage all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

For additional information and safety tips on making your Memorial Day a fun and safe holiday, please visit the USA.gov Memorial Day web page.

In addition, you may wish to view the President's Memorial Day Proclamation.

Please note: To view and print .PDF documents, you must use the Adobe Reader software, which is available for download without charge.

By usa.gov team