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Veteran’s Day is here, so test your knowledge of the November 11 holiday with some historical trivia, and then refer to the Top 10 Activities list for ideas on how to celebrate the 51st national holiday.

Quiz:
1. Veteran’s Day honors ______.

A. Those who have died in war
B. Those who have survived war
C. All who have served in the U.S. armed forces during times of peace and war
D. None of the above

Answer: (C) Veteran’s Day is observed annually in the United States to thank everyone, dead or alive, who has honorably served in the U.S. armed forces during times of peace and war. Veteran’s Day is greatly intended for living veterans, according to Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

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2. World War I ended on November 11 at 11:11 am in ______.
A. 1918
B. 1921
C. 1938
D. 1954

Answer: (A) World War I, also known as the Great War, lasted from 1914 to 1918, according to Wikipedia.

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3. Veteran’s Day is observed in other countries as ______ Day.
A. Remembrance
B. Armistice
C. Veteran’s
D. Both A & B

Answer: (D) Veteran’s Day is observed on November 11 in several countries, but the name of the holiday is often different. For example, Canada and Australia observe Remembrance Day, and Great Britain observes Remembrance Day on the Sunday nearest to November 11, according to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Great Britain also observes Armistice Day on November 11, according to the BBC.

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4. Irving Berlin’s song ______ was popularized by Kate Smith at the New York World’s Fair on November 11 1938.
A. “My Country Tis Of Thee”
B. “God Bless America”
C. “When Johnny Come Marching Home”
D. “Yankee Doodle”

Answer: (B) In 1918, Berlin wrote “God Bless America,” but the song has been buried for 20 years because it was rejected by the music industry. Toward the end of World War I, Berlin was approached by Ted Collins, the manager for singer Kate Smith, who was looking for a patriotic song for Smith to sing. Berlin dug up the old piece, made a few lyrical changes, and Smith first sang the tune on Veteran's Day in 1938 at the New York World’s Fair.

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5. In ______, Congress changed the holiday Armistice Day to Veteran’s Day to honor those who served in World War II and the Korean War.
A. 1954
B. 1950
C. 1957
D. 1952

Answer: (A) Armistice means truce. World War I was also known as “the War to end all wars,” so November 11 might still be called Armistice Day if war had not broken out in Europe only a few years later, according to U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. On June 1, 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veteran’s Day to honor all who had fought in American wars.

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6. If November 11 were to fall on a Saturday, the federal holiday would be observed on ______, yet if November 11 fell on a Sunday, the federal holiday would be observed on ______.
A. Friday; Saturday
B. Friday; Sunday
C. Friday; Monday
D. Saturday; Sunday

Answer: (C) Although Veteran’s Day is always observed on November 11, if the holiday falls on a Saturday the federal government allows the Friday before the holiday weekend to serve as the observance day. However, if November 11 is a Sunday then the next Monday will be the government appointed day of observance.

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7. Which president issued the first “Veteran’s Day Proclamation” in 1954?
A. Herbert Hoover
B. Franklin D. Roosevelt
C. Dwight D. Eisenhower
D. Harry S. Truman

Answer: (C) In 1954, President Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11 as Veteran's Day.

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8. According to the United States Census 2002 reports, there are ______ million veterans in the U.S., which is a ration of 1-in-8 U.S. civilians 18 and over.
A. 20.2
B. 26.4
C. 30.5
E. 22.4

Answer: (B) There were 26.4 million veterans in the United States, which represented 13 percent of the U.S. population.

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9. In 1865, president ______ said, “to care for him (any veteran) who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan.” These words are imprinted on two metal plaques at the front of the Veteran’s Affairs Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
A. Abraham Lincoln
B. Andrew Johnson
C. James Buchanan
D. Ulysses S. Grant

Answer: (A) The origin of the VA’s motto comes from Abraham Lincoln second inaugural address, according to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

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10. How many stars were on the American flag when Veteran’s day became an official holiday in 1954?
A. 48
B. 46
C. 50
D. 45

Answer: (B) There were 48 stars on the flag, and this was the same year the words “Under God” were added to the Pledge of Allegiance, according to USHistory.org. In 1959, Alaska joined the union, making 49 starts. A year later, Hawaii joined too, resulting in 50 stars total.

Written by Jennifer Beckett.

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