Holidays: History of Federal Holidays (Video)

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Memorial Day

Memorial Day started in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971 to honor those who served and died in wars.

Close-up of father's hands holding handmade card and present from children on father's day

Mother’s Day: Inspiration for Father’s Day The “Mother’s Day” we celebrate today has its origins in the peace-and-reconciliation campaigns of the post-Civil War era. During the 1860s, at the urging of activist Ann Reeves Jarvis, one divided West Virginia town celebrated “Mother’s Work Days” that brought together the mothers of Confederate and Union soldiers. Did […]

Fourth of July – Independence Day

History of Independence Day When the initial battles in the Revolutionary War broke out in April 1775, few colonists desired complete independence from Great Britain, and those who did were considered radical. By the middle of the following year, however, many more colonists had come to favor independence, thanks to growing hostility against Britain and […]

Labor Day 2023

Why Do We Celebrate Labor Day? Labor Day, an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated during one of American labor history’s most dismal chapters. In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out […]

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Where Did Memorial Day Originate?

The question of what town held the first Memorial Day ceremony remains an ongoing debate.

Why Do We Celebrate July 4 With Fireworks?

The Independence Day tradition dates nearly as far back as the country’s beginning and was proposed by one of the Founding Fathers.

How the First Earth Day Was Born From 1960s Counterculture

On April 22, 1970, a nationwide “teach-in” inspired millions of Americans to care more about the environment.

A soldier holds an American flag at a cemetery.

What Is the Difference Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

Both Memorial Day and Veterans Day honor U.S. military personnel—but they arose for different reasons.

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Memorial Day

Take a look at the holiday marking the unofficial beginning of summer and America’s most solemn occasion.

1:52 minTV-PG

History of May Day

Historian Yohuru Williams gives a crash course on a riot in Chicago’s Haymarket Square that changed the labor movement in the United States.

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2:19 minTV-14

History of the Fourth of July

Did you know New York City has the biggest fireworks display in the United States and that three U.S. presidents died on July 4?

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1:48 minTV-PG

Flashback: Independence Day 1941

As World War II raged in Europe and North Africa, the United States celebrated its Independence Day in July 1941. It was looking increasingly likely that the U.S. would enter the war, and President Franklin Roosevelt delivered an address that equivocated America’s own struggle for freedom in the 1700s with the struggle faced by her […]

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This Day in History

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2001

Holidays

Topics

Memorial Day

Father’s Day 2023

Fourth of July – Independence Day

Labor Day 2023

Stories

Where Did Memorial Day Originate?

Why Do We Celebrate July 4 With Fireworks?

How the First Earth Day Was Born From 1960s Counterculture

What Is the Difference Between Veterans Day and Memorial Day?

Videos

Memorial Day

History of May Day

History of the Fourth of July

Flashback: Independence Day 1941

This Day in History

First Muslim holiday U.S. postage stamp is issued

This Day In History: 04/22/1970 – The First Earth Day

This Day In History: 02/02/1887 – First Groundhog Day

This Day in History: 05/08/1945 – V-E Day is celebrated in American and Britain

The Julian calendar takes effect for the first time on New Year’s Day

First St. Patrick’s Day parade