Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties. The holiday is observed on the last Monday of May. The holiday was observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day to honor and mourn those who died while serving in the U.S. military. Many volunteers place an American flag on graves of military personnel in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is also considered the unofficial beginning of summer in the United States, while Labor Day, the first Monday of September, marks the unofficial start of fall and the end of the summer. Many cities and individuals have claimed to have been the first to celebrate the event. In 1868, General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic called for a "Decoration Day", which was widely celebrated. By 1890, every Northern state had adopted it as a holiday.
| Official name | Memorial Day |
| Observed by | Americans |
| Observances | U.S. military personnel who have died in the performance of their military duties, while preserving freedom for all. This day is one of remembrance, and reflection on the ultimate cost of freedom. |
| Date | in |
| last year date | May (. May last year) |
| date | May (. May) |
| next year date | May (. May next year) |
| +2 years date | May (. May +2 years) |
| Frequency | Annual |
About Memorial Day
A day of remembrance in the U.S. that recognizes members of the U.S. military force who died while in service. Many cemeteries and gravesites across the U.S. are decorated with wreaths and floral arrangements on the holiday.
Achievement of Memorial Day
The holiday was observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970, before transitioning to the last Monday in May. While unofficial, it is widely considered to be the start of the summer in the U.S.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Memorial Day
Remembrance Day at the Gettysburg Battlefield, an annual honoring of Civil War dead held near the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.. A Great Jubilee Day, first held the last Monday in May 1783 (American Revolutionary War ).. Armistice Day, November 11, the original name of Veterans Day in the United States.. Confederate Memorial Day, observed on various dates in many states in the South in memory of those killed fighting for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.. Memorial Day massacre of 1937, May 30, held to remember demonstrators shot by police in Chicago.. Nora Fontaine Davidson, credited with the first Memorial Day ceremony in Petersburg, Virginia.. Federal holidays in the United States.. Observances honoring victims of war.. Holidays.. Public holidays in the United States.. Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month).. May observances.
Latest information about Memorial Day updated on July 28 2021.
