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Why isn't Veterans Day on a Monday? Answer: It was, briefly. Fighting in World War I ended with a truce at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. Woodrow Wilson declared Nov. 11, 1919, as "Armistice Day." States began observing the occasion. In 1938, it became a federal holiday. It was renamed Veterans Day in 1954 to honor veterans of subsequent wars. The Uniforms Holiday Act of 1968 moved four federal holidays (Columbus Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Washington's Birthday) to create three-day weekends. Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October in 1971. But Nov. 11 was meaningful, and states began observing the holiday on Nov. 11 as before. In 1978, Nov. 11 was restored as Veterans Day.

Sources: United States Veterans Administration webpages; www.infoplease.com.