Keep Calm & Grill On
When is Memorial Day observed?
A) Last Tuesday of May
B) Last Wednesday of May
C) Last Monday of May
Last Monday of May
Memorial Day has been observed on the last Monday of May since 1971.
What flower is traditionally worn as a remembrance of those who have died in war?
A) Daisies
B) Poppies
C) Magnolias
Poppies
In war-torn battlefields, the red field poppy was one of the first plants to grow. The practice of wearing of poppies in honor of fallen soldiers was inspired by the poem In Flanders Fields, written in 1915 by Canadian soldier John McCrae.
Who is generally considered the founder of Memorial Day?
A) John A. Logan
B) Dwight D. Eisenhower
C) Henry C. Welles
John A. Logan
In May 1868, General John A. Logan, the commander-in-chief of the Union veterans' group known as the Grand Army of the Republic, issued a decree that May 30 should become a nationwide day of commemoration for the more than 620,000 soldiers killed in the recently ended Civil War. On Decoration Day, as Logan dubbed it, Americans should lay flowers and decorate the graves of the war dead "whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land."
How many Americans died in World War II?
A) 1,076,245
B) 405,399
C) 320,518
405,399
405,399 Americans died in World War II.
How many Americans died in World War I?
A) 63,114
B) 116,516
C) 204,002
116,516
116,516 Americans died in World War I, more than half from disease.
What was Memorial Day formerly known as?
A) Fallen Heroes Day
B) Decoration Day
C) Armed Forces Day
Decoration Day
It was originally known as Decoration Day, a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Memorial Day did not become the more common name until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967.
What was the first state to make Memorial Day an official holiday?
A) Pennsylvania
B) Illinois
C) Michigan
Michigan
In 1871, Michigan made "Decoration Day" an official state holiday and by 1890, every northern state had followed suit, but states of the former Confederacy were hesitant to embrace a national holiday memorializing those who, in General Logan's words, "united to suppress the late rebellion."
Who was the principal speaker at Arlington National Cemetery on the first Decoration Day?
A) Ulysses S. Grant
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) James Garfield
James Garfield
General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, which had previously been General Robert E. Lee's plantation. 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
From 1868 to 1970, when was Memorial Day observed?
A) May 30
B) June 1
C) May 28
May 30
Memorial Day was previously observed on May 30.
What city hosts the oldest Memorial Day parade?
A) Douglaston, New York
B) Portsmouth, Virginia
C) Doylestown, Pennsylvania
Doylestown, Pennsylvania
The Doylestown parade dates to 1866, a year before Ironton's.
Memorial Day originally honored soldiers who died in which war?
A) Civil War
B) Vietnam War
C) World War II
Civil War
Memorial Day was a response to the unprecedented carnage of the Civil War, in which some 620,000 soldiers on both sides died.
Where is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier located?
A) Virginia
B) New York
C) Washington D.C.
Virginia
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is located at Arlington National Cemetery, a United States military cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
In 2000, this U.S. President signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, which asks Americans to pause for one minute during Memorial Day in an act of national unity.
A) George H. W. Bush
B) George W. Bush
C) Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act.
How many American service members died in Operation Iraqi Freedom?
A) 36,574
B) 4,411
C) 2,346
4,411
4,411 American service members died in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
What year was Memorial Day first observed?
A) 1845
B) 1945
C) 1868
1868
Most historians cite May 30, 1868 as the first Memorial Day. One author claims that the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of any particular Civil War battle.
At what time does Congress ask Americans to pause for a moment of remembrance on Memorial Day?
A) 3:00PM
B) 9:00AM
C) 12:00PM
3:00PM
In 2000, the United States President signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act, which asks Americans to pause for one minute at 3 p.m. in an act of national unity.
What percent of U.S. employers have designated Memorial Day as a paid holiday?
A) 56%
B) 97%
C) 68%
97%
Although 97 percent of employers have designated Memorial Day as a paid day off, more than 40 percent of companies still require at least some employees to work the holiday, according to a new study from Bloomberg BNA.
This U.S. President signed a presidential proclamation officially recognizing that the tradition of observing Memorial Day had begun in a New York town in 1866.
A) Herbert Hoover
B) John F. Kennedy
C) Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a presidential proclamation officially recognizing that the tradition of observing Memorial Day had begun in New York in 1866.
Which town in New York was recognized by the U.S. government as the official birthplace of Memorial Day?
A) Yonkers, New York
B) New York, New York
C) Waterloo, New York
Waterloo, New York
Although a U.S. President signed a presidential proclamation officially recognizing that the tradition of observing Memorial Day had begun in Waterloo, New York in 1866, scholars have since determined that the Waterloo account is a myth.
Which event traditionally takes place on Memorial Day weekend?
A) Indianapolis 500
B) MLB All-Star Game
C) Kentucky Derby
Indianapolis 500
Since its inception in 1911, the Indianapolis 500 has always been scheduled on Memorial Day weekend.
A) 116,516
B) 58,220
C) 36,574
58,220
58,220 Americans died in the Vietnam War.
How old was the youngest U.S. servicemen in World War II?
A) 12 years old
B) 17 years old
C) 14 years old
12 years old
Calvin Graham lied about his age when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After he was wounded in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, it was discovered that he was only 12 years old. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service.
Which war memorial depicts six American servicemen raising a U.S. flag?
A) Marine Corps War Memorial
B) Korean War Veterans National Memorial
C) National World War II Memorial
Marine Corps War Memorial
The United States Marine Corps Memorial, located near Arlington Cemetery, sets in bronze a photograph from 1945, in which five Marines and a sailor are shown raising a flag over Iwo Jima, Japan.
What famous monument was dedicated on Memorial Day?
A) Vietnam Veterans Memorial
B) Washington Monument
C) Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on Memorial Day 1922.
Contrary to popular belief, this is the most popular meat to grill on Memorial Day
A) Steaks
B) Burgers
C) Hot Dogs
Burgers
If you are ready for a barbecue you aren’t alone. Americans will be grilling on Memorial Day. What they’ll be grilling:
Burgers (85%)
Steaks (80%)
Hot Dogs (79%)
Chicken (73%)