Armistice Day is on 11th November and is also known as Remembrance Day. It marks the day World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month (11/11/11), back in 1918. A two-minute silence is held at 11am to remember the people who have died in wars.
There is also Remembrance Sunday every year, which falls on the second Sunday in November, this year it will fall on Sunday 13 November. On this day, there are usually ceremonies at war memorials and churches throughout the country. Also the Royal Family and top politicians gather at The Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, for a memorial service.
The whole day is about remembering the lives of the brave soldiers that died fighting for our country, the 2 minute silence is done out of respect for all the lives lost in all wars, not just world war 1. This includes World War 2, the Falkland’s War, The Gulf War and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The first two-minute silence in Britain was held on 11 November 1919, when King George V asked the public to observe a silence at 11am. This was one year after the end of World War One. He made the request so:
“the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead”.
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Sources: BBC: What Is Remembrance Day