Sunday, November 11th/Monday 12th. One century ago today, history’s bloodiest war to date ended after more than four years of slaughter. The Veterans Day holiday was conceived as Armistice Day to honor the 4.7 million Americans who served — and the 116,500 who died — in what was then called the Great War. The occasion kept its name and focus until 1954, when it was changed to Veterans Day, and its scope widened to honor veterans from all eras.
Overall, World War One consumed around 16 million lives, out of some 35 million civilian and military casualties. The last American veteran of that war died in 2011, but there remain some 18.5 million living veterans nationwide, including 7,200 from between the world wars.
You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online.
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