Every year, we celebrate our nation’s Veterans on November 11…except for those years when we didn’t. Either way, honoring our Veterans is an American tradition that we enjoy every year. Then again, don’t other countries have similar celebrations? There are plenty of fun, interesting facts about Veterans Day you may not know. Here are seven Veterans Day facts, that most people don't know, to help you mark the occasion this year:

1. You Don’t Need an Apostrophe

How you spell the holiday matters and one of the most unknown facts about Veterans Day, is that there isn’t an apostrophe in the name.

While the grammar police may have picked up this a long time ago, it’s an easy, common mistake for most people to make.

There isn’t an apostrophe in “Veterans Day” because the day is for honoring them, not a day that belongs to Vets.

2. There Was a Time We Celebrated Veterans Day in October

One of the more interesting Veterans Day facts is that we may all know that the holiday is on November 11 each year, but for many years, this wasn’t the case.

You see, while Veterans Day was on the date we now celebrate it, the government changed it to the last Monday of October every year thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

This bill passed in 1968, went into effect in 1971, and while it’s still in effect today, Veterans Day was changed back to Nov. 11 in 1978.

The seven-year shift was an effort to inspire tourism, boost economic growth, and help federal employees enjoy more time off.

3. The Big Apple Has the Oldest Veterans Day Parade in the USA

It makes sense that America’s largest city also has the largest Veterans Day celebration in the nation.

However, the New York City Veterans Day Parade is also the oldest parade in our country.

These days, you’ll find 20,000 people marching up Fifth Avenue to honor our country’s Vets, in a celebration that predates the official federal holiday by quite a lot. This all started in 1919.

4. Originally, November 11th Celebrated Armistice Day (One State Still Does)

World War I ended in the 11th hour on the 11th day in the 11th month when the Great War finally concluded in 1918.

This came to be once Germany signed an armistice, sparking the original celebration known as Armistice Day.

The day was used to celebrate the Allied Forces winning WWI before ultimately being renamed in 1954 by President Dwight Eisenhower to Veterans Day, honoring Vets from all wars involving our nation’s heroes.

However, an interesting fact about Veterans Day includes the fact that one state technically doesn’t celebrate it.

Despite some movements to inspire change, Wisconsin doesn’t recognize Veterans Day as a state or federal holiday and keeps the tradition of Armistice Day going.

5. It's Not a Celebration Exclusive to America

Many fun facts about Veterans Day involve America; however, November 11 isn’t just celebrated stateside.

There are several evolutions of Armistice Day found in Australia and Canada known as Remembrance Day—the U.K. even celebrates this holiday on the second Sunday of November.

Though the exact reasonings may slightly differ, such as celebrating not only Veterans but also active duty members as well as honoring fallen civilians due to war, the overall sentiments are very similar.

6. Alabama Held the First Official Veterans Day Celebration

New York may have the oldest parade; however, Birmingham, Alabama, coined the term “Veterans Day” in 1947, thanks to a fellow Vet himself, Raymond Weeks.

After serving in WWII, Weeks began organizing National Veterans Day to host a parade and celebrations honoring the heroes who had fought and defended our nation.

Held on Armistice Day, eventually, U.S. Representative Edward Rees created a bill to change the name and it passed in 1954.

These facts about Veterans Day history are the foundation of what we know today as the nationwide celebrations found from city to city.

7. Veterans Day ≠ Memorial Day

Finally, a big misconception surrounding the holiday is that Veterans Day is the same as Memorial Day—this is not so.

The main difference between the two is that while fallen Veterans are honored on both days, Memorial Day is exclusively to honor those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Veterans Day is a time to remember all Vets, including the living, for what they’ve done and continue to do for our nation.

The Most Important Fact About Veterans Day

Of all the facts about Veterans Day, the most important one is to remember to celebrate it in the first place. Our nation’s heroes deserve a day of recognition, free stuff, and honor.

Buy a Veteran a meal, help out with a good deed, or simply say thank you for their service in keeping America free.

Suggested reads:

Veterans Day's Evolution: The History Behind WWI Armistice Day

Did Donald Trump Serve in the Military?

Plan Your Getaway: The Best Veterans Day Travel Deals for 2024