Memorial Day History Memorial Day started as a method for General John Logan to remember and commemorate the Civil War dead. He called it "Decoration Day." On May 30, 1868, the inaugural Memorial Day ceremony took place at Arlington National Cemetery, when 5,000 people laid floral tributes on the graves of more than 20,000 soldiers. While it is generally accepted that General Logan chose that day for the inaugural Decoration Day because it coincided with the blooming of flowers in both the North and the South, other scholars argue that the timing was excellent since it did not conflict with any war anniversaries. Military leaders like General Ulysses S. Grant presided over the ceremonies, which were attended by members of Congress. In addition to the remarks, youngsters from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home and other organizations decorated Union and Confederate graves with flowers, said prayers, and sang songs as they made their way around the cemetery. Many attendees had packed a lunch to enjoy while they waited. Memorial Day didn't become a day to memorialize all American soldiers who died in any conflict until after World War I. When Congress approved an act making Decoration Day a federal holiday in 1971, it was renamed Memorial Day. In the same year, President Lyndon B. Johnson shifted Memorial Day from May 30 to the final Monday in May. He emphasized in his formal statement on what is now known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act that "this will...enable families who live some distance apart to spend more time together".