On this day, Capital Research Center honors men and women of the U.S. military who died in service of their country
Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day was first observed after the Civil War (1861–1865). One of the first observances was by former slaves on May 1, 1865, in Charleston, South Carolina—less than a month after Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
Memorial Day “became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.”
