Veterans Day 2011

Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice. To mark this event, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed an Armistice Day for November 11, 1919.

Seven years later, back in the days when Congress actually did something, a resolution was passed causing Calvin Coolidge to proclaim the annual observation of November 11 as Armistice Day. With their usual lack of alacrity it took Congress another dozen years, until May 13, 1938, before Armistice Day was elevated to a legal holiday.
Alvin King, an Emporia, Kansas boot maker proposed in 1953 that Armistice Day be expanded to celebrate all veterans, not just those who had died in World War I. With the help of U.S. Representative Ed Rees, a bill to this effect was signed by President Dwight Eisenhower on May 26, 1954 and, in June of the same year, Congress amended the act, replacing "Armistice" with "Veterans."
Ever unable to leave well alone, in 1971 Congress got to tinkering and changed November 11 to the fourth Monday in October to comply with the utterly pointless Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
 Following seven years of confusion, in 1978 Veterans Day was moved back to its original day, November 11, concurrent again with the rest of the world and where, hopefully, it will remain. See local celebration here.