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Gen. John Logan officially proclaimed Memorial Day on May
5, 1868.
The first national commemoration took place on May 30, 1868, as flowers were
placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington
National Cemetery.
In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson declared Waterloo, NY, as the
“birthplace” of Memorial Day, citing a ceremony held on May 5, 1866 to honor
Civil War dead.
It is believed that the date was chosen because by May 30, flowers would be in
bloom all over the country.
Inspired by the poem “In Flanders Field” Moina Michael wrote a poem of her own,
and came up with the idea of wearing red poppies in honor of Memorial Day.
Some Southern states have special observances specifically in honor of fallen
Confederate soldiers, including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South
Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
In 2000, Congress passed the National Moment of Remembrance Act to encourage
people to give back to the country, as well as promote commemorations of
Memorial Day.
The National Moment of Remembrance Act urges all Americans to pause, wherever
they may be, at 3 p.m. local time on May 30 for a moment of silence in honor of
the country’s fallen heroes.
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