How Memorial Day Came to Be

The holiday's purpose and history. Plus, a 60-second global news roundup and some trivia!

May 26, 2025

In This Issue

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Main Story
How Memorial Day Came to Be

🇺🇸 What Is Memorial Day?

  • Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States to honor military personnel who died in service to the country.

  • It’s observed on the last Monday of May, marking the unofficial start of summer.

📜 How Did It Start?

  • Originally called Decoration Day, it began after the Civil War to commemorate Union soldiers who had died.

  • People would decorate graves with flowers, flags, and wreaths.

  • One of the first widespread observances was in 1868, when General John A. Logan declared May 30 a day of remembrance.

🔄 Evolving Over Time

  • After World War I, Memorial Day expanded to honor all Americans who died in military service.

  • In 1971, Congress officially declared it a national holiday, placing it on the last Monday in May as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act (to create long weekends).

🌸 Interesting Fact

  • Waterloo, New York, is officially recognized by Congress as the birthplace of Memorial Day, thanks to a community-wide observance held there in 1866.

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World News
Global News in 60 Seconds

In the last 3 days…

🇺🇸 United States – Historic Hockey Victory

The U.S. men's ice hockey team clinched the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Stockholm, defeating Switzerland 1–0 in overtime. This marks the USA's first standalone world title since 1933 and their first gold since 1960.

🇵🇭 Philippines – South China Sea Tensions

Chinese and Philippine vessels clashed in the disputed South China Sea, with a Chinese coast guard ship sideswiping a Filipino government fishing vessel and firing water cannons. This incident underscores the ongoing territorial disputes and rising tensions in the region.

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Game of the Week
Trivia Time

What was Memorial Day originally called?

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Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in what year?

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