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Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for May 28, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
May 28, 2018: Decoration Day, which eventually became known as Memorial Day, was created in 1868 by Major General John A. Logan. The Civil War had just ended three years earlier, and Logan ran an organization of Union veterans known as the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). It is believed that May 30 was selected for the celebration because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.
Congress didn’t make it an official national holiday until 103 years later.[1] When the legislators acted in 1971, however, they changed the date to the last Monday in May.[1] In practical terms, making Memorial Day an official national holiday had little impact on the public celebrations.
Last year’s Number of the Day for Memorial Day noted that 1,196,793 men and women had given their lives defending our nation in war.
Logan’s establishment of the holiday followed a number of local observances that had sprung up in the aftermath of the Civil War. Several cities and towns claim to be the home of the first Memorial Day. “In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the ‘birthplace’ of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-staff.”[1]
Initially, Decoration Day honored only those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the celebrations expanded to include those who gave their lives for the United States in any war.
An earlier Number of the Day noted that in 1908, Congress voted against establishing Mother’s Day. But Americans celebrated anyhow. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declared it a national holiday.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
- May 25, 2018 – 41.5 million Americans will travel this weekend
- May 24, 2018 – 150 billion dollars spent annually on illegal sports betting
- May 23, 2018 – 49 percent of American adults say home broadband service is essential
- May 22, 2018 – 18 percent of Americans discuss politics and government daily
- May 21, 2018 – 53 percent of American adults expect driverless cars to be common within a decade
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day is published by Ballotpedia weekdays at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. Click here to check out the latest update.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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