This was written for InsideSources.com.
Memorial Day is a national holiday that honors the men and women of the armed forces who sacrificed their lives while serving our country.
Freed slaves may have staged the first Memorial Day in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1865. By 1890, Memorial Day had become a holiday in many states. It officially became a federal holiday in 1971.
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The quiz below, from the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio, provides an opportunity for you to test your knowledge of Memorial Day.
1. What was Memorial Day originally called?
A. Veterans Day
B. Flag Day
C. Decoration Day
D. War Remembrance Day
2. Memorial Day initially commemorated which conflict?
A. American Revolution
B. Mexican War
C. World War II
D. American Civil War
3. What organization called for decorating the graves of fallen soldiers on May 30, 1868?
A. Odd Fellows
B. Abraham Lincoln Association
C. Grand Army of the Republic
D. United Daughters of the Confederacy
4. Decorating the graves of the dead was similar to what European Catholic tradition?
A. Bastille Day
B. European Union Day
C. Monarchy Day
D. All Saints Day
5. The first Memorial Day speeches often stressed what theme?
A. Beginning of summer
B. Personal sacrifice
C. Abraham Lincoln's courage
D. Sectional Reconciliation
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6. When did Memorial Day become a holiday honoring the American dead from all wars?
A. After the Vietnam War
B. After 1980
C. After World War I
D. After 1900
7. Where is the birthplace of Memorial Day, according to the federal government?
A. Decatur, Illinois
B. Washington, D.C.
C. Waterloo, New York
D. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
8. Traditionally, Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30. In what year did the federal government designate that the holiday must be held on the third Monday in May?
A. 1980
B. 1921
C. 1968
D. 1977
9. Which president decreed a National Moment of Remembrance, when all Americans are supposed to pause for a moment of silence to honor the fallen at 3 p.m. ET each Memorial Day?
A. Bill Clinton
B. Lyndon B. Johnson
C. Jimmy Carter
D. Ronald Reagan
10. What flower is associated with Memorial Day?
A. White rose
B. Pink carnation
C. Cherry blossom
D. Red poppy
Dan Monroe, a member of the Ashbrook Center faculty, is associate professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Millikin University. He wrote this for InsideSources.com .
Answers: 1-C, 2-D, 3-C, 4-D, 5-D, 6-C, 7-C, 8-C, 9-A, 10-D
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