Memorial Day by the numbers: Facts about the solemn American holiday

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Memorial Day will be observed in the U.S. on Monday, May 30.

While some Americans will use the federal holiday as a time to celebrate and recharge, others view it as a day of mourning.

If you’re not certain why that is, here are 10 number-based facts about how Memorial Day came to be, current observance traditions and key statistics about America’s military.

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1868 – America’s first Memorial Day observance was on May 5, 1868, which was originally called Decoration Day by the Grand Army of the Republic, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

(L-R) US President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley arrive to take part in a wreath laying in front of Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day in Arlington, Virginia on May 31, 2021.  (Getty Images)

That year, Americans visited the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and other local resting places throughout the U.S. to decorate the graves of fallen troops. The American Civil War ended three years prior (April 12, 1861 to April 9, 1865), and an estimated 620,000 lost their lives in the four-year war.

1966 – President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed Waterloo, N.Y. the “birthplace of Memorial Day” on May 26, 1966, because historical records showed the village held one of the first observances on the local level a hundred years prior, according to the Library of Congress.

Johnson’s proclamation was made while American armed forces neared the 11th year Vietnam War (Nov. 1, 1955 to April 30, 1975).

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“Join me in prayer to the Almighty for the safety of our Nation’s sons and daughters in Vietnam, for His blessing on those who have sacrificed their lives for this Nation in this and all other struggles,” Johnson said, at the time. 

More than 20 other cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, which cites a first local observance dating back to October 1864. 

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1971 – Memorial Day became a floating federal holiday on January 1, 1971, after the Uniform Monday Holiday Act went into effect, according to the U.S. Army Center of Military History. The law moved Memorial Day from May 30 to the last Monday in May. 

As heavy rains fall, visitors seek cover under umbrellas as they walk amid the tributes and flags marking gravestones at Fort Logan National Cemetery late Sunday in Denver. A woman was arrested Monday on suspicion of DUI after crashing into several headstones with her car, police said. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

651K– The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs published an “America’s Wars” report in May 2021 that estimated the number of fallen troops who died in battle from 1775 to 1991 was 651,031. The agency also estimated that there were 308,800 in-theater deaths (territories where wars were fought) and non-theater 230,254 deaths (territories where wars weren’t fought) during the same period.

1.3 million – Approximately 1.3 million active-duty service members make up the U.S. armed forces, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The agency is also backed by 750,000 civilian personnel and more than 811,000 National Guard and Reserve service members, which makes the department the nation’s largest employer. 

Veterans march on the street May 27, 2019, during the 152nd Memorial Day Parade in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Kings County Parade is one of the oldest Memorial Day Parades in the nation. (Johannes Eisele / AFP via Getty Images)

10K – More than 10,000 people participate in The National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., according to Music Celebrations International – the parade’s co-organizer, which works alongside the American Veterans Center.

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135K – The Arlington National Cemetery reports that it receives more than 135,000 Memorial Day visitors over the holiday weekend each year. 

A girl reacts in front of a headstone during Memorial Day as visitors honor veterans and those lost in war at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, U.S., May 31, 2021. (REUTERS/Michael A. McCoy)

260K – on Memorial Day, approximately 260,000 graves at the Arlington National Cemetery are decorated with American flags, according to WalletHub – a personal finance website. 

32.9 million – Memorial Day is viewed as the unofficial start of summer by some Americans, which has made it a busy day for travel. The American Automobile Association estimates that 39.2 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend, according to an updated travel forecast.

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Beachgoers gather in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Saturday, May 29, 2021. (Jason Lee/The Sun News via AP)

1.7 billion – The holiday weekend is also a big day for barbecues. WalletHub reports that national meat sales reach $1.7 billion during Memorial Day celebrations and gatherings.