Countdown to
Veterans Day
Honoring everyone who has worn the uniform.
Today is Veterans Day.
9 days until Veterans Day, on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Happens every November 11.
Veterans Day is the United States’ annual tribute to everyone who has served in its armed forces. Held each November 11, it thanks the living as much as it honors the dead — a deliberate contrast with Memorial Day, which is reserved for those who fell in service. The date is no accident: it marks the hour the guns fell silent at the end of World War I.
From Armistice Day to Veterans Day
At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, an armistice between the Allies and Germany brought the fighting of World War I to a close. The first anniversary, in 1919, was observed as Armistice Day, and in 1938 Congress made November 11 a legal federal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace. After World War II and the Korean War added millions of new veterans, the focus widened. In 1954, at the urging of veterans’ groups, Congress struck the word “Armistice” and replaced it with “Veterans,” broadening the day to honor those who served in every American war.
The date itself briefly moved. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act shifted Veterans Day to the fourth Monday of October beginning in 1971, creating a three-day weekend. The change proved unpopular — many states refused to follow it, and the October date clashed with the deep historical meaning of November 11. Congress reversed course, and in 1978 the holiday returned permanently to November 11.
How we get this date. Veterans Day is a fixed-date holiday: it always falls on November 11, the anniversary of the 1918 Armistice, no matter which day of the week that is. There is no weekday rule and no drift from year to year. When November 11 lands on a Saturday or Sunday, federal offices observe the holiday on the nearest weekday — Friday or Monday — but the day of remembrance itself stays on the 11th.
How it is observed
Ceremonies cluster around 11 a.m., the hour of the armistice. The President or a representative lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, towns hold parades, and many people wear a red poppy, the flower of remembrance drawn from the poem “In Flanders Fields.” The same date is marked across the Commonwealth as Remembrance Day.
🎖️ Fun facts about Veterans Day
- Veterans Day marks the moment World War I fighting stopped — the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in 1918.
- It was called Armistice Day until 1954, when Congress replaced "Armistice" with "Veterans" to honor those who served in all American wars.
- From 1971 to 1977 the holiday was briefly moved to the fourth Monday of October; public objection returned it to November 11 in 1978.
- Unlike Memorial Day, which honors those who died in service, Veterans Day honors everyone who has served — living and dead.
- The United Kingdom, Canada, and other Commonwealth nations mark the same date as Remembrance Day.
Upcoming Veterans Day dates
| Date | Days away |
|---|---|
| 9 days | |
| 374 days | |
| 740 days | |
| 1,105 days | |
| 1,470 days |
How people mark Veterans Day
- Moments of silence at 11 a.m. on November 11
- Veterans Day parades
- Laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington
- Flying the U.S. flag
- Thanking and honoring living veterans
- Wearing a red poppy
Frequently asked
When is Veterans Day?
Veterans Day is always November 11, whatever the day of the week.
How is the date calculated?
It is a fixed-date holiday — November 11 every year, the anniversary of the 1918 Armistice, regardless of the weekday. When it lands on a weekend, federal offices observe it on the nearest weekday, but the day itself stays on the 11th.
What is the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?
Memorial Day, the last Monday of May, honors service members who died in service. Veterans Day honors everyone who has served in the U.S. armed forces, living or dead.
Why is Veterans Day on November 11?
The armistice that ended fighting in World War I took effect at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. The date was first observed as Armistice Day and kept when the holiday was renamed.