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Armistice Day Facts

Armistice Day Facts
Armistice Day is celebrated on November 11th to commemorate the day that World War I allies signed an agreement with Germany to end the fighting. The agreement was signed by German, French, and British representatives, at 5:00am on the morning of November 11th, 1918. The Armistice itself began 6 hours later at 11:00am. The word armistice refers to an agreement to end the hostilities of a war, but it is now generally used to reference the end of World War I in particular. Some countries around the world have officially declared November 11th Armistice Day, while others call November 11th Remembrance Day or Veterans Day. Although the day is known by different names around the world, November 11th holidays all originated as a remembrance to the end of World War I hostilities.
Interesting Armistice Day Facts:
The Armistice was signed in Compiègne, France, approximately 37 miles from Paris, in a railway carriage. The location was remote and chosen because it would be discreet.
The railway car used for the signing of the Armistice belonged to Ferdinand Foch. In 1940 Germany forced France to surrender during World War II in the same railway carriage. Hitler sat in the same seat that Ferdinand Foch sat in, and took the carriage back to Germany to put on display.
World War I resulted in the deaths of more than 15 million people.
The terms of the Armistice forced Germany to surrender 1,700 airplanes, all submarines, 25,000 machine guns, 2,500 field guns and 2,500 heavy guns. This made it impossible for Germany to restart the war in the immediate future.
The terms of Armistice also forced Germany to pay for the damages it caused. This debt of approximately $35 billion was only paid off in 2010.
Armistice was signed on November 11th 1918 but the official end of World War I did not take place until the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th, 1919.
In the United States Armistice Day became an official holiday in 1926. It became a national holiday in 1938, and in 1954 the name was changed from Armistice Day to Veteran's Day.
The first official observance of Armistice Day took place on November 11th, 1919 at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
In France Armistice Day is a public holiday, resulting in the closure of many businesses.
An unidentified U.S. soldier was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., on November 11th, 1921. This is known as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Unidentified soldiers were also buried that day in London at Westminster Abbey, and in Paris at the Arc de Triomphe.
Armistice Day is observed in France, Belgium, Serbia, and New Zealand.
The United States observes Armistice Day as Veteran's Day, while most Commonwealth nations such as the U.K. and Canada refer to Armistice Day as Remembrance Day.
Countries changed the name of Armistice Day to veteran's Day and Remembrance Day because they wanted the day to honor those who fought or were lost in all armed conflicts since World War I.
Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands do not commemorate Armistice Day as they remained neutral during World War I.


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