Are you ready to dive into the sea of facts and come up with the pearls of knowledge? Are you ready to wage a battle of wits against the unknown? Well, buckle up, because we’re about to embark on an unforgettable Memorial Day voyage! It’s no ‘picnic’—this quiz is full of ‘monumental’ questions that will have you ‘marching’ your brain cells like a parade. So sit up ‘at attention’, ‘salute’ the challenge, and let’s see if you can ‘flag’ the correct answers!
1. When was the first Memorial Day celebrated?
2. What was the original name for Memorial Day?
3. Which state was the first to officially recognize Memorial Day as a holiday?
4. What is the most visited war memorial in the United States on Memorial Day?
5. What is the largest parade held in the United States on Memorial Day?
6. What specific time is recognized for national remembrance on Memorial Day?
7. Who was the president when Memorial Day became a federal holiday?
8. What year did Memorial Day become a federal holiday?
9. What flower is traditionally associated with Memorial Day?
10. Which war resulted in the establishment of Memorial Day?
11. How many soldiers’ graves are traditionally decorated on Memorial Day?
12. In which city is the oldest Memorial Day parade held?
13. What symbol is traditionally displayed on homes during Memorial Day?
14. What is the record number of flags placed at the Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day?
15. Which U.S. President gave the longest speech in Memorial Day history?
16. What famous patriotic song was first played at a Memorial Day event?
17. What is the most expensive war memorial in the U.S.?
18. Which was the first war to have a significant number of female U.S. military casualties, commemorated on Memorial Day?
19. What is the largest U.S. national cemetery frequently visited on Memorial Day?
20. What city claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, despite historical controversy?
21. How is the flag flown on homes and government buildings on Memorial Day?
22. What is the most common type of public event held on Memorial Day?
23. Which U.S. President made the decision to celebrate the last Monday of May as Memorial Day?
24. What significant U.S. landmark was dedicated on Memorial Day?
25. What is the most visited Civil War battlefield on Memorial Day?
26. Who was the first African American soldier to receive a Memorial Day tribute?
27. How many volunteers typically help to place flags at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day?
28. Which U.S. President first wore a red poppy on Memorial Day?
29. What is the name of the poem often quoted at Memorial Day ceremonies that mentions poppies?
30. Who wrote the famous Memorial Day poem “In Flanders Fields”?
31. What event marks the beginning of the Indianapolis 500 race on Memorial Day weekend?
32. What sport typically holds its championships on Memorial Day weekend?
33. What was the highest-grossing movie released on Memorial Day weekend?
34. Which iconic monument in Washington D.C. was first opened to the public on a Memorial Day?
35. What event did the American Legion introduce on Memorial Day in 1920 to remember the fallen?
36. What branch of the U.S. military traditionally lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day?
37. What city hosts the oldest continuous Memorial Day parade in the country?
38. How many national cemeteries are there in the United States where Memorial Day is commemorated?
39. Which U.S. President was the first to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Memorial Day?
40. What is the most common musical piece performed on Memorial Day?
41. In which city is the Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally, one of the largest motorcycle gatherings in the U.S., held annually?
42. In which state is the National Memorial Day Concert held?
43. What is the name of the cemetery where the U.S. President or Vice President lays a wreath on Memorial Day?
44. What is the name of the annual Memorial Day weekend festival held in Atlanta, Georgia, that features hot air balloons and music performances?
45. In what year was the National Moment of Remembrance Act passed, which asks Americans to pause for one minute at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day?
46. Which U.S. city claims to have held the first Decoration Day ceremony?
47. Which country inspired the idea of using red poppies to remember soldiers who have died in war?
48. Which American president was the first to issue a proclamation calling for “Decoration Day” to be observed nationwide?
49. What piece of legislation moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend?
50. In what state is the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, a frequent destination on Memorial Day?
51. What are volunteers of all ages called who annually place American flags at each of the over 228,000 headstones in Arlington National Cemetery before Memorial Day?
52. Which U.S. President issued the first national proclamation of Memorial Day in 1868?
53. What is the name of the Memorial Day concert held annually on the lawn of the United States Capitol?
54. Who is traditionally the keynote speaker at the Memorial Day Observance at the Arlington National Cemetery?
55. Which branch of the U.S. military was the first to celebrate Memorial Day?
56. Which Memorial Day-related event was canceled for the first time in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
57. Which university’s marching band has played in the National Memorial Day Parade every year since its inception?
58. Which U.S. President’s death resulted in Memorial Day becoming more widely accepted across the country?
59. What city in Mississippi hosts the longest running Memorial Day program in the South?
60. Which U.S. President or Vice President was the first to attend the Indianapolis 500, an event frequently associated with Memorial Day?
61. What is the name of the motorcycle demonstration event held annually in Washington, D.C., on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend?
62. What is the name of the national observance during which 200,000 small American flags are placed on every grave marker in Arlington National Cemetery before each Memorial Day?
63. Which U.S. President urged Americans to pause for one minute at 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day to remember those who have died in service to the nation?
64. What is the name of the ceremony held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day?
65. Which U.S. President was the first to commemorate Memorial Day by laying a wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?
66. Who was the first female soldier whose death was acknowledged on Memorial Day?
67. Which U.S. President hosted the first Memorial Day concert at the White House?
68. What is the name of the long-distance relay race that takes place over Memorial Day weekend in New Hampshire?
69. What city in California hosts a Memorial Day Jazz Festival every year?
70. Which U.S. President said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends,” during a Memorial Day address?
71. What is the name of the national monument in Washington, D.C., that is often visited on Memorial Day?
72. What town in Pennsylvania hosts an annual Memorial Day reenactment of the Civil War?
73. Who was the first sitting U.S. President to participate in a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery?
74. What is the name of the traditional bugle call played at U.S. military funerals and memorials and on Memorial Day?
75. In what year was Memorial Day first declared a federal holiday?
76. What city in Illinois has been hosting Memorial Day parades since 1870?
77. What is the name of the group that first proposed the idea of a Memorial Day?
78. What is the name of the 24-hour vigil that takes place at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every Memorial Day?
79. Who was the first woman to officially promote the idea of a day of remembrance for those who died in service to the U.S., which later became known as Memorial Day?
80. Which U.S. President signed into law the act that made Memorial Day a federal holiday?
81. What major sports event is traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend?
Phew, that was quite a ‘parade’ of questions, wasn’t it? We hope you had a ‘blast’ and learned some ‘explosive’ new facts about Memorial Day. Don’t ‘retreat’ now, though – there’s a whole ‘battalion’ of quizzes waiting for you on Trivia Bliss. So ‘march’ on over and keep that trivia ‘campaign’ going strong!
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