What was Memorial Day's first name?

Answer 1

On May 5, 1868 General John Alexander Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, proclaimed there to be a holiday called Decoration Day to honor the soldiers who died during the US Civil War. It was first observed on May 30, 1868 at Arlington National Cemetery when the graves of those soldiers, both Union and Confederate, were decorated with flowers.

After World War I the holiday was expanded to include all military personnel who had died in all wars in which the United States had been involved. It generally became known as Memorial Day but it wasn't until 1967 that legislation was passed by Congress and signed by President Lyndon Baines Johnson officially renaming Decoration Day to Memorial Day.

Answer 2

Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. It was first observed in the years following the American Civil War as a day to honor and decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. The name was eventually changed to Memorial Day in the 20th century.