Memorial Day is a day celebrated in the United States on the last Monday of May each year to honor the people who died while serving the U.S. military. The day was originally named Decoration Day for the practice of decorating the graves of the soldiers with flowers on that day.
Decoration Day originated in the following years of the Civil War and it officially became a holiday in 1971. On Memorial Day people visits the cemeteries and go to family and friend gatherings. There are many interesting facts about this specific day relating to its tradition and activities. We have gathered this information about memorial day in this post so, learn more about the Memorial Day facts in these Memorial Day trivia.
Celebrate Memorial Day with our Memorial Day Facts Trivia Questions and Answers! Explore a mix of informative and patriotic topics perfect for honoring the sacrifices of our servicemen and women. Let’s remember and honor the heroes of our nation with these simple and meaningful trivia questions!
Table of Contents
Memorial Day Facts Trivia
1. When does the Memorial Day holiday occur in the United States?
Answer: On the last Monday of May
2. What was the original name of Memorial Day?
Answer: Decoration Day
3. Why Memorial Day is celebrated?
Answer: To honor the people who died while serving the U.S military.
4. What date does Memorial Day occur in 2021?
Answer: 31 May
5. When did the day originate?
Answer: In the following years of the Civil War.
6. How do Americans celebrate Memorial Day?
Answer: By visiting memorials and cemeteries, arranging family gatherings or participating in parades.
7. At what time the moment of remembrance takes place on Memorial Day each year?
Answer: At 3:00 pm local time.
8. When did the day become an official federal holiday?
Answer: In 1971
9. What was declared as the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966 by the federal government?
Answer: Waterloo, New York
10. When the last Monday of May was selected for Memorial Day?
Answer: In 1971
11. Previously when was the day continued to observe?
Answer: On May 30.
12. Why the Memorial Day selected on the last Monday of May?
Answer: To create a three-day weekend for the federal employees.
13. Who started the tradition of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day?
Answer: Moina Michael
14. Where do the largest parades take place in the United States?
Answer: In Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.
15. Why red poppies are worn on the day?
Answer: In remembrance of those fallen in war.
16. Which is the most popular activity that takes place on Memorial Day?
Answer: Parade and visiting friends and families
17. Where the first Memorial Day occurred?
Answer: In Charleston, South Carolina in 1865.
18. Which flower is associated with the day?
Answer: Red poppy
19. The day is also treated as the beginning of a season. Which season is it?
Answer: Summer
20. Which southern state first celebrated the memorial holiday?
Answer: Mississippi
The first memorial day occurred in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865. While, President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo, New York as the birthplace of Memorial Day. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a historic speech at the Arlington Cemetery.
Memorial Day Traditions
21. Which northern state first celebrated the memorial holiday?
Answer: New York
22. Who officially declared Waterloo New York the birthplace of Memorial Day?
Answer: President Lyndon Johnson
23. On the first Decoration Day, how many participants decorated the graves of soldiers?
Answer: 5000
24. Who made a historic speech on the first Decoration Day?
Answer: General James Garfield
25. At which cemetery the first Decoration Day was held?
Answer: Arlington Cemetery
26. How many Union and Confederate soldiers are buried at Arlington Cemetery?
Answer: 20,000
27. When did New York states officially recognized the holiday?
Answer: In 1873
28. When all other northern states recognized it?
Answer: By 1890.
29. What was the poem inspired by which the idea of wearing the red poppies started?
Answer: “In Flanders Fields”
30. Who first wore the red poppies on Memorial Day?
Answer: Moina Michael
Memorial Day Facts for Students
31. Why Mona Michael sold poppies to her friends and co-workers?
Answer: To give the money to the servicemen in need.
32. Which is the first veteran’s organization to sell poppies nationally?
Answer: VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars
33. When the resolution of the ‘National Moment of Remembrance’ was passed?
Answer: In December 2000
34. Who formerly declared to observe the Decoration Day on May 30?
Answer: Major General John A. Logan
35. Why the date was chosen?
Answer: Because flowers would bloom all over the world.
36. Which is the deadliest war in U.S. history?
Answer: Civil War
37. How many deaths are estimated during the Civil War?
Answer: 620,000
38. Who addresses on Memorial Day 26 May 1983?
Answer: President Ronald Reagan
39. Which U.S. senator introduced a bill to restore the date of Memorial Day to May 30?
Answer: Daniel Inouye
40. Which sporting event has been held during the Memorial Day weekend?
Answer: Indianapolis 500
On Memorial Day the American flag has to fly in the air at half-staff from sunrise to noon and at full-staff from noon until sunrise. People go to friends and family gatherings and arrange barbeque parties. Moreover, they visit the cemeteries and decorate the graves with flowers.
Memorial Day Bbq Trivia
41. Where the Arlington National Cemetery is located?
Answer: In Washington, D.C.
42. How the American flag should be displayed on a memorial day according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Answer: At half-staff from sunrise to noon and at full-staff from noon until sunrise.
43. After how many years of the Civil War was Decoration Day established?
Answer: Three years
44. In 2012, how many places claimed to have begun Memorial Day?
Answer: Twenty-Five
45. What was the name of the Act according to which the date of the Memorial Day was revised?
Answer: The Uniform Monday Holiday Act
46. Who passed this Act and when?
Answer: The Congress in 1968
47. When the bill went into effect?
Answer: After three years
48. When the first race of the Indianapolis 500 took place?
Answer: On Memorial Day 1911
49. What is traditionally used to decorate the graves?
Answer: Flowers
50. What does GAR stand for?
Answer: Grand Army of the Republic
Memorial Day Facts History
51. When GAR established Decoration Day?
Answer: 5 May 1868
52. When was the first Memorial Day Parade held?
Answer: In 2004
53. Where the Parade took place?
Answer: In Washington, D. C.
54. What is usually played in the ceremonies of Memorial Day?
Answer: Taps
55. What are the most popular things people use to remember the soldiers?
Answer: Flowers and flags
56. When did the meaning of Memorial Day change?
Answer: After World War I
57. What was the former meaning of the day?
Answer: Remembrance of the Civil War dead soldiers.
58. What is the current meaning of Memorial Day?
Answer: Honoring the Americans who died in any war.
59. Which states refused to honor the dead until World War I?
Answer: Southern States
60. Who first held the ceremony of Decoration Day?
Answer: The freed slaves
The red poppy flowers are recognized as the Memorial Day flower. Moina Michael started the trend of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day. Later on, it became a tradition in many other places all around the world.
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