Today in American Military History -- 1868
The first "Decoration Day", designated by GAR Commander-in-Chief Maj Gen John Logan
Memorial Day (previously but now seldom called Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering and honoring the military personnel who perished while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The holiday is observed on the last Monday of May. Memorial Day was observed on May 30 from 1868 to 1970. The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882, but not in common practice until after WWII.