Memorial Day is a time to remember and mourn those we have lost in service to their country and people. In this trivia collection, we go through Memorial Day trivia, facts, questions, and answers that pay homage to our fallen comrades and the valiant people who fought bravely for their land.
When was Memorial Day named as such by the federal government?
1967 Click to see the answer
Memorial Day was originally known as what?
Decoration Day
What city is known as the birthplace of Memorial Day?
Waterloo, New York
Which president signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act?
Bill Clinton
Memorial Day originally honored soldiers who died in which war?
U.S. Civil War
Memorial Day was first recognized on what date?
May 30, 1868
Which event traditionally takes place on Memorial Day weekend?
Indianapolis 500 Click to see the answer
What flower is traditionally worn as a remembrance of those who have died in war?
Poppies
Who is generally considered the founder of Memorial Day?
John A. Logan
What was the first state to make Memorial Day an official holiday?
Michigan
Where is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier located?
Virginia
How old was the youngest U.S. serviceman in World War II?
12 years old
What famous monument was dedicated on Memorial Day?
Lincoln Memorial
What city hosts the oldest Memorial Day parade?
Doylestown, PA
Arlington National Cemetery used to be a plantation belonging to whom?
Robert E. Lee
What organization called for adorning the shrines of fallen soldiers on 30 May, 1868?
Republic Civil War Veterans' Organization Click to see the answer
The annual biker rally in Washington, D.C. each Memorial Day is called what?
The Rolling Thunder Run
Which organization first promoted a national holiday for decorating the graves of fallen soldiers?
Grand Army of the Republic
For how many years has Memorial Day been reserved for cherishing the lives of Civil War soldiers only?
100 years
The quote, 'I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity', is from which former soldier who became a U.S. president.
Dwight Eisenhower
How many total Americans died in the Civil War?
About 620,000
When there was a shortage of natural poppies in 1924, which city was the first to manufacture artificial poppies?
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Rolling Thunder Run is aimed at raising awareness of what?
Prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action
Which year did the Civil War end?
1865 Click to see the answer
There is something unusual at the Arlington national cemetery. What is it?
The Tomb of the Unknown
When was the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery
Nov. 11, 1921
What is the top Memorial Day weekend destination?
Orlando, FL
When did Washington D.C. hold its first Memorial Day parade?
2004
Which are the two most important items people wield to remember soldiers?
Flowers & Flags
Many Americans treat Memorial Day as the onset of which season?
Summer
Memorial Day weekend has been known as being the most hazardous holiday. Which incident caused it to be known as very risky?
Car Accidents
Which southern state first commemorated the federal holiday of Memorial Day?
Mississippi
What organization called for adorning the shrines of fallen soldiers on 30 May, 1868?
Republic Civil War Veterans' Organization
Which woman served as a battlefield nurse during the Civil War, achieving the epithet 'Angel of the Battlefield', and established the American Red Cross in 1881?
Clara Barton
What is the name of the largest national cemetery?
Calverton National Cemetery, New York
What organization is accountable for the Buddy Poppy program, which funds U.S. veterans and families?
Veterans Of Foreign Wars. Click to see the answer
What poem inspired the tradition of wearing and planting poppy blossoms for Memorial Day?
"In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae
The National Moment of Remembrance takes place at what time each Memorial Day?
3 p.m. local time
What bugle call is played at all military funerals and memorial services?
Taps
How many fallen soldiers were honored at the first Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery?
20,000
Which senator and World War II veteran fought to return Memorial Day to May 30 until his death in 2012?
Senator Daniel Inouye
The ancient Greeks marked one of the earliest displays of honoring fallen soldiers in which war?
The Peloponnesian War
When there was a shortage of natural poppies in 1924, which city was the first to manufacture artificial poppies?
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Who started the tradition of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day?
Moina Michael
What percentage of people travel by car on Memorial Day weekend?
88%
What rise in percentage is the automobile-related casualties over Memorial Day weekend?
12%
How many hot dogs do Americans eat between Memorial Day and Labor Day?
7 Billion
How many American men and women have died in all battles the U.S. has been involved?
1.1 million
The first Memorial Day speeches often emphasized what principle?
Sectional Reconciliation
Which memorial to the fallen was the first to be inaugurated on Washington D.C. National Mall?
Vietnam Veterans Memorial