Memorial Day has been honoring America's fallen soldiers since the 1860s. It was originally called "Decoration Day" because families would decorate graves with flowers every May 30th. The tradition spread across the country after the Civil War, but for decades, tradition is all it was. Which president finally gave Memorial Day federal holiday status?
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Correct Answer: Lyndon B. Johnson
(Source)Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968 which officially recognized Memorial Day as a federal holiday while moving it from May 30th to the last Monday in May. The legislation also moved Washington's Birthday (because that's a thing you can do), Veterans Day (temporarily), and Columbus Day to Mondays, too. Some folks weren't thrilled about the date changes and felt it shifted focus from remembrance to recreation. But Johnson saw the Monday format as a way to give holiday the prominence it deserved while ensuring more Americans could participate in memorial services. The change took effect in 1971.
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