Veterans Day 2026
Published: November 10, 2026
Veterans Day is an opportunity to recognize and thank those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces for their commitment and sacrifice. This year's theme highlights how veterans continue to provide support and service long after leaving the military. This year's observance also ties into America's 250th Anniversary.
Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In 1938, November 11th was made a legal holiday through an act of Congress.
In 1954, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans.” On June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill, Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250) was signed, ensuring three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates. With much confusion, the first Veterans Day under the new law was observed on October 25, 1971.
On September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-79 (89 Stat. 479), a law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11th, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on November 11th.
The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is the Nation's first monument devoted solely to disabled veterans from all branches of service and all American conflicts. The Memorial is located in Washington, D.C., just west of the United States Capitol Building.
Legislation was approved by Congress and signed into law (114 Stat. 1358) by President Clinton in October 2000. The Memorial was dedicated on October 5, 2014.
"At the heart of the memorial are 48 large etched glass panels that display photographs and quotations drawn from veterans’ own stories. Some etchings are carved into the exterior surfaces—inviting visitors to touch and feel—while others appear translucent within the glass, evoking memory and loss. These panels stand alongside white granite walls inscribed with passages from Presidents George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower, reinforcing the memorial’s themes of duty and national gratitude. The path continues to a triangular reflecting pool and a star-shaped fountain, where a ceremonial flame rises above gently flowing water. This blend of fire and water symbolizes endurance, renewal, and the determination of disabled veterans to overcome profound challenges." National Park Service (NPS)
Related GovInfo Resources and Featured Content
- 36 U.S.C. 145 - Veterans Day
- 68 Stat. 168 - An Act to honor veterans on the 11th day of November of each year, a day dedicated to world peace
- Army University Press Publications
- Explore Documents About the First World War
- Armed Forces Day 2026
- Korean War Armistice Day 2026
Additional Article Sources and Resources
- Read the History of Veterans Day on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
- Learn more about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the U.S. Department of Defense website.
- See the The Wall of Faces , a page dedicated to honoring and remembering every person whose name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C. (Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund)
- Check out the 2026 Teachers Resource Guide on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website
- Take a look at the Government Publishing Office's online bookstore's collection of publications produced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- See Ben's Guide - Learning Adventures, "Vietnam Veterans Memorial: 1982". Ben's Guide to the U.S. Government, a service of the Government Publishing Office (GPO), is designed to inform students, parents, and educators about the Federal Government, which issues the publications and information products disseminated by the GPO’s Federal Depository Library Program.