The Veterans Day Story... At the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the guns of WWI fell silent and "Armistice Day" was born. Eight years later a Presidential Proclamation invited people to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies. With the passage of time it was changed to "Veterans Day". The national focal point for the official Veterans Day observance is at the Tomb of the Unknowns where the Presidential wreath is placed.