Today we"re honoring Americans who gave their lives in military service. Originally known as Decoration Day, the tradition began in the late 1860s after the American Civil War. Communities held springtime tributes by decorating the graves of fallen Union soldiers with flowers. Over time, it expanded to commemorate all US military personnel who died in wars. Locals observe the day with ceremonies and parades across the country.
Memorial Day
Today in History
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Terraced fields of green
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Wildebeests in Maasai Mara, Kenya
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Feel the spray in Monterey
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Make your way up a picturesque passageway of Chefchaouen
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World Rivers Day
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Baddest of the badlands
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Looking down upon Edinburgh
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A legend and a legendary home
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Find a Rainbow Day
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Cumberland Island National Seashore
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World Environment Day
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Bluespotted ribbontail ray
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Christmas tree at Crystal Pier, San Diego, California
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A yearly sign that spring has sprung
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How green is my valley
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Celebrating the Day of the Dead
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Mid-Autumn Festival
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Big Bend National Park turns 78
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An ultralight aircraft flying over the sands of Namibia
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Winter in Old Nuuk
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A national icon
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Storks ready for takeoff
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The Aomori Nebuta Festival parade, Japan
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An underwater rainbow
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Hues of Hokkaido
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Sailing on thick ice
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Earth Day and National Park Week
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Cherry blossoms spring to life
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Riding the bore tide at Turnagain Arm, Cook Inlet, Alaska
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The Cutty Sark turns 150