A crowd of more than 5,000 people arrived at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, with a purpose.
They came to place flowers on the graves of soldiers who fought so valiantly on the first Decoration Day, which later became Memorial Day. Before the crowd paid their respects, James Garfield rose to speak.
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Before serving as the 20th president of the United States, Garfield was a congressman from Ohio. He also served as a major general in the Union army. During his speech, Garfield affirmed why this day of ultimate sacrifice is so important.
“For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue,” Garfield told the assembled gathering.
As the United States prepares to honor fallen service members for the 158th time on Monday, May 25, here is a brief look at the history of Memorial Day.
How Did the First Decoration Day Come to Be?
The United States was involved in numerous wars throughout the early years of its existence. After the Revolutionary War, the fledgling nation fought the British again during the War of 1812. There was also the Indian Wars and the Mexican-American War, among other conflicts.
None of those resulted in an official day of recognition to honor the war dead. That changed with one act from Gen. John A. “Black Jack” Logan, a veteran of the Civil War. Logan was the commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization consisting of Union vets.
The group’s adjutant-general, Norton P. Chipman, approached Logan after receiving a letter from a Union soldier in 1868, according to a timeline from the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The soldier recommended an annual observance honoring the sacrifice of dead soldiers.
Chipman liked the idea and took it to Logan, who issued General Orders No. 11. It stated: “The 30th day of May, 1868 is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land.”
Who Else Deserves Credit for What Became Memorial Day?
The Grand Army of the Republic was not alone in believing honoring fallen soldiers was the least a grateful nation should do.
Some credit Sue Landon Vaughan, a descendant of America’s second president, John Adams. In April 1865—the same month that Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox—she led a group of women in Mississippi to adorn graves on both sides of the war. Others recognize former slaves in South Carolina who paid their respects to the Union dead less than a month after the Civil War ended.
The cities of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Winchester, Virginia; and Carbondale, Illinois, held other ceremonies to honor the war dead in the mid-1860s. Then there was a druggist and county clerk in New York, who spearheaded efforts to recognize dead Union soldiers properly. Their mission succeeded to the extent that a congressional resolution declared Waterloo as “the birthplace of Memorial Day” for its ceremony on May 5, 1866.
Did Decoration Day Recognize Fallen Soldiers from All US Wars?
Not initially. Because of Logan’s proclamation, May 30 was reserved only for those dead soldiers who fought in the Civil War. That changed after World War I, when it became a common practice to honor those Americans who died in every war involving our nation.
When Did People Refer to Memorial Day Instead of Decoration Day?
It was a relatively recent development. While some referred to the day as Memorial Day previously, it did not officially receive the federal government’s backing until 1971—the same year that Elon Musk and Snoop Dogg were born, Disney World opened, and Vietnam War protests were rampant.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act on June 28, 1968. The legislation made Memorial Day a federal holiday to be recognized on the final Monday in May. The legislation also established the recognition of Veterans Day on the fourth Monday in October. The changes, which also involved George Washington’s birthday and Columbus Day, took effect in 1971. (Veterans Day moved back to November 11 in 1978.)
How Does the US Honor Fallen Service Members on Memorial Day?
For one, it holds an annual national remembrance. The 158th National Memorial Day Observance is scheduled for noon Eastern time on Monday, May 25, 2026, in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony will include the laying of a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a parade of colors.
Since 2000, Americans are urged to stop for a minute at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a national moment of silence.
What About the Memorial Day Concert?
PBS is scheduled to broadcast the National Memorial Day Concert on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday, May 24, 2026. Actors and military advocates Gary Sinise (“Forrest Gump”) and Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”) will host, and the National Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, the U.S. Army Chorus, the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, the Quantico Marine Band, and the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants will perform.
In addition, actors Noah Wyle (“The Pitt”) and Melissa Leo (“The Fighter”), and singers Mickey Guyton and Alan Jackson are among the others set to appear. Besides PBS, the American Forces Network will broadcast the concert to troops worldwide. The concert also will be streamed live at pbs.org.
Sinise started the Gary Sinise Foundation, which supports the military community and first responders, in 2011.
“While we can never do enough for our nation’s heroes, we can always do a little more,” Sinise once said.
After all, that’s what Memorial Day is for.
Information from the U.S. National Archives, U.S. Army Center of Military History, the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum, and the National Cemetery Administrationwas used in compiling this article.
