Armistice Day was officially renamed Veterans Day in 1954, when Congress changed the name of the November 11 federal holiday and President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the legislation that June.

Key date and what changed

  • On June 1, 1954, the U.S. Congress amended the 1938 law that had made November 11 “Armistice Day,” striking the word “Armistice” and replacing it with “Veterans.”
  • President Eisenhower then signed this change into law, so November 11 became “Veterans Day,” a day to honor American veterans of all wars, not just those of World War I.

Why the name was changed

  • After World War II and the Korean War, millions more Americans had served, and veterans’ organizations pushed for the day to recognize all veterans, not only those from World War I.
  • The new name, Veterans Day, reflected this broader purpose: honoring every U.S. veteran, in wartime and peacetime, while still keeping the same symbolic date of November 11.

TL;DR: Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day on June 1, 1954, when Congress and President Eisenhower officially renamed the November 11 holiday to honor all American veterans.