1. Memorial Day was first declared “Decoration Day” to decorate the graves of those who lost their lives in the Civil War with flowers.
2. Although many cities around the North and South claim to be the Birthplace of Memorial Day, In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the birthplace of Memorial Day.
3. On May 5, 1868, three years after the Civil War ended, Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, called for the date of Decoration Day to be on May 30. Today the holiday is celebrated on the last Monday of May.
4. Originally, Memorial Day was designated to honor Civil War casualties, but after WWI it was changed to honor all Americans who had given their lives in the military service of our country.
5. In December 2000, U.S. Congress passed “The National Moment of Remembrance Act,” P.L. 106-579, to ensure that the lives of American fallen soldiers are never forgotten. The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time for 60 seconds to member and honor the soldiers who have lost their lives in war.