Memorial Day Countdown

Memorial Day falls on the last Monday of May, honoring the American service members who died in the nation's wars. This countdown automatically targets the next one.

How many days until Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is on Monday, May 31, 2027, which is 312 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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Memorial Day's story so far

1866Waterloo, New York, holds a community-wide observance on May 5 — businesses close and residents decorate soldiers' graves — though at least two dozen towns have separately claimed to have started the tradition.

1868Union veterans' leader General John A. Logan issues General Order No. 11, designating May 30 as 'Decoration Day' for decorating the graves of Civil War dead; the first national observance follows that day at Arlington National Cemetery.

WWI eraAfter World War I, the holiday's meaning broadens from honoring only Civil War dead to commemorating American service members lost in any war.

1966Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson officially proclaim Waterloo, New York the 'birthplace' of Memorial Day, 100 years after its first observance there — though the claim remains disputed by historians and rival towns.

1967Federal law formally adopts 'Memorial Day' as the holiday's legal name, cementing a shift in usage from 'Decoration Day' that had been underway for decades.

1971The Uniform Monday Holiday Act takes effect, making Memorial Day a federal holiday permanently observed on the last Monday of May.

2000President Bill Clinton signs the National Moment of Remembrance Act, establishing a national pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day.

Notable records

Largest single-day sporting event on the calendarThe Indianapolis 500, run every Memorial Day weekend, fills the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 257,325 permanent seats — the highest capacity of any sports venue in the world — with race-day crowds commonly put near 350,000

Largest Memorial Day paradeThe Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade in Queens, New York, running since 1927, is widely cited as the largest Memorial Day parade in the United States

Longest continuously running Memorial Day paradeRochester, Wisconsin has held a Memorial Day parade every year since 1867, making it the longest continuously running Memorial Day parade in the country

From Decoration Day

The observance grew out of Decoration Day, proclaimed in 1868 after the Civil War, when communities decorated soldiers' graves with flowers. It became Memorial Day and moved to the last Monday of May in 1971.

How it's observed

Flags fly at half-staff until noon, Arlington National Cemetery holds its annual ceremony, and at 3 p.m. local time Americans pause for the National Moment of Remembrance.

Why the poppy

The red poppies pinned on lapels each May trace to 'In Flanders Fields,' the 1915 poem written after the Second Battle of Ypres. Inspired by it, American professor Moina Michael vowed in 1918 to wear a red poppy year-round in remembrance — and campaigned until veterans' groups adopted it as the official flower of remembrance.

Quick facts

Observed on the last Monday of May
Grew out of Decoration Day, proclaimed in 1868
The National Moment of Remembrance is at 3 p.m. local time
Also marks the unofficial start of summer
The remembrance poppy tradition began with a 1915 poem

A U.S. federal holiday

Memorial Day is one of the 11 official U.S. federal holidays. Not sure which one comes next? The next federal holiday countdown always ticks down to whichever is soonest — and the next long weekend countdown tells you when you're off work for 3 days straight.

Remember & gather

Flags for those we honor, and the makings of a backyard afternoon.

American flag Memorial grave flags Patriotic bunting BBQ grill tool set Rolling cooler Folding lawn chairs

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Learn more

Arlington National Cemetery Wikipedia

Memorial Day — frequently asked questions

When is Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is on Monday, May 31, 2027.

How many days until Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is on Monday, May 31, 2027, which is 312 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

Updated July 2026 · alarm-clock.org

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