On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, an armistice went into effect between Germany and the Allied nations, a day that was regarded as the end of the war to end all wars. President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11, 1919, as the first commemoration of Armistice Day, opens a new window. 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.
In Great Britain and Canada, November 11 is known as Remembrance Day. Poppies are the best known symbol of Remembrance Day and were adopted as a symbol of remembrance from the poem "In Flanders Fields", opens a new window, penned by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in May 1915 after he lost a friend in the Battle of Ypres. Beautiful bright red Flanders poppies flourished across the scarred battlefields of muck and destruction during the war and after.
Want to learn more? Browse WWI books and DVDs.
Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes to War
The First World War; The War to End All Wars
The First World War in 100 Objects
The Great War: A Photographic Narrative
Looking for World War I fiction? We've got you covered with a mix of classic and contemporary novels that focus on both the war and the homefront experiences.
