Holidays

Similarities Between the Assassinations of Kennedy and Lincoln (1860s and 1960s)

 

     Fifty years ago in 1963 on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.  In a movie, whose name I can't think of, one of the characters said that everyone in the U.S. old enough to remember the assassination remembers where they where and what they were doing when they heard the news.  It was as if time froze; an entire nation went into shock for several hours.  Another popular President was also assassinated in 1864-Presidente Abraham Lincoln.  There are a number of similarities between the two assassinations.  If you like to include current events in your classroom, click on the title and follow the link.  You will information to plan an interesting discussion activity.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the U. S., and John F. Kennedy, 35th.

 Veterans Day - November 11

 

  Between 1914 and 1918 two groups of European countries formed alliances and fought against each other in what was then known as the Great War.  The Allied Powers (initially the French Republic, the British Empire and the Russian Empire) fought against the Central Powers (the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria).  On November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m., Germany, the most powerful member of the Central Powers, accepted the agreement of an armistice with the Allied Powers.  Thus at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the Great War ended.  The USA declared war against Germany in April 1917 after the infamous Zimmerman telegram was intercepted and decoded by British intelligence and after several American ships had been attacked by Germany.  In the immediate years which followed on what became known as "Armistice Day," an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in the highest place of honor--first in England, then in France, and finally in 1921 in Arlington National Cemetery which is on a hill overlooking the U. S. capital, Washington, D. C.

     A Congressional resolution in 1926 made the name "Armistice Day" official.  Twelve years later, in 1938, Congress made it a national U. S.  holiday.  Many people at that time believed that the Great War was "the War to end all Wars."  If that had been the case, then maybe it would still have its original name.  But a year later, World War II broke out in Europe, and then there was the Korean War in the 1950s.  With this in mind, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill in 1954 that changed the name of the holiday on November 11 from Armistice Day to Veterans Day "to honor all those who had served America in all wars."

     In a symbolic act on another national holiday to honor military personnel, Memorial Day, in 1958, two more unidentified American soldiers were laid to rest next to the one from World War I; one had been killed in World War II and the other in the Korean War.  In 1984, an unknown American serviceman from the Vietnam War was interred along side the other three.  These graves have the name of the "Tomb of the Unknowns."  An Army honor guard stands watch day and night to honor these four men who symbolize all Americans who gave their lives in all wars.

    In 1968, the national commemoration of Veterans Day was changed to the fourth Monday in October, but many Americans considered this a historically significant date that should not be influenced by the desire to give federal government employees a long weekend.  In 1978, the observance of the original date of November 11 was returned by an act of Congress.  Although banks and other businesses may stay open on this day, state government offices and many public schools are frequently closed.  In some cities it is the tradition to have a parade made up of military units and high school and university bands.  Veterans organization also plan special programs for this day, often including speeches by well-known political figures.

 

Vocabulary from the Reading:  The following words may be unfamiliar to you, but can be used when you speak or write English.

 

Word	Explanation or Definition
armistice:	a temporary suspension of hostilities by warring parties
bury: grave: (n.)	put in the ground and cover with dirt burial place for one or two people

 

Discussion Questions

1.      Is there a holiday in your country that honors veterans?

2.      If so, why was that day selected to honor the military?

3.      Is it a national holiday?  (Are banks and businesses closed?)

4.      How is the holiday celebrated?