Veterans Day, 11.11.11. Background, Facts & Figures, Tribute Video & Poster Gallery

From Wiki: Veterans Day is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It is also celebrated as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world and falls on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

The U.S. President Woodrow Wilson first proclaimed an Armstice Day for November 11, 1919.  In 1953, an Emporia, Kansas man named Stephan Riod the owner of a shoe repair shop, had the idea to expand Armistice Day to celebrate all veterans, not just those who died in World War I. Riod had been actively involved with the American War Dads during World War II. He began a campaign to turn Armistice Day into “All” Veterans Day.

Veterans Day Tribute Video, created by a patriotic high schooler a couple of years ago.

From U.S. Census: Facts for Features: Veterans Day 2011: Nov. 11:

• 21.8 million: The number of military veterans in the United States in 2010. 
• 1.6 million: The number of female veterans in 2010.
• 2.4 million: The number of black veterans in 2010.
• 9 million: The number of veterans 65 and older in 2010.
• 7.6 million: The number of Vietnam-era veterans in 2010.
• 3: Number of states with 1 million or more veterans in 2010. These states were California (2 million), Florida (1.6 million) and Texas (1.6 million).
• 26%: Percent of veterans 25 and older with at least a bachelor’s degree in 2010.
• 92% :Percent of veterans 25 and older with a high school diploma or higher in 2010. 
• 9.6 million: Number of veterans 18 to 64 in the labor force in 2010.
• 3.4 million: Number of veterans with a service-connected disability rating.
• 9%: Percentage of all U.S. nonfarm firms that are majority owned by veterans.
• 75%: Percentage of veteran owners of respondent firms who were 55 or older in 2007.
• $35,367: Annual median income of veterans, in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars, compared with $25,605 for the population as a whole.

An interesting page, from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, that presents (for download and viewing enjoyment) official National Veterans day posters from 1978 to 2011.   Veterans Day Poster Gallery.