ARMISTICE DAY/REMEMBRANCE DAY
Added on: 11th Nov 2014
ARMISTICE DAY
(WHICH COINCIDES WITH REMEMBRANCE DAY
AND VETERANS DAY,)
IS COMMEMORATED EVERY YEAR ON
11 NOVEMBER TO MARK THE ARMISTICE
SIGNED BETWEEN THE ALLIES OF WORLD WAR 1 AND
GERMANY AT COMPIÈGNE, FRANCE,
FOR THE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES ON THE
WESTERN FRONT OF WORLD WAR I,
WHICH TOOK EFFECT AT
ELEVEN O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON
THE "ELEVENTH HOUR OF THE
ELEVENTH DAY OF THE ELEVENTH MONTH" OF 1918.
THE INITIAL OR VERY FIRST ARMISTICE DAY
WAS HELD AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE
COMMENCING WITH KING GEORGE V HOSTING A
"BANQUET IN HONOUR OF THE PRESIDENT OF
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC" DURING THE EVENING HOURS
OF NOVEMBER 10 1919.
THE FIRST OFFICIAL ARMISTICE DAY WAS
SUBSEQUENTLY HELD ON THE GROUNDS OF
BUCKINGHAM PALACE ON THE MORNING OF
NOVEMBER 11TH 1919.
THIS WOULD SET THE TREND FOR A DAY OF
REMEMBRANCE FOR DECADES TO COME.
IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD,
PEOPLE OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AT
11:00 A.M. LOCAL TIME AS A SIGN OF RESPECT.
THE FIRST MINUTE FOR THE ROUGHLY 20 MILLION
PEOPLE WHO DIED IN THE WAR, AND IN THE
SECOND MINUTE DEDICATED TO THE LIVING LEFT BEHIND,
GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD TO BE WIVES, CHILDREN
AND FAMILIES LEFT BEHIND BUT DEEPLY
AFFECTED BY THE CONFLICT.
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