Veterans Day is a well-known American holiday, but there are a few misconceptions about it – like how it's spelled and who exactly it celebrates. To clear some of this up, here are the important facts you should know.

Veterans Day does NOT have an apostrophe

Many people think it is “Veterans Day” or “Veterans Day,” but they are wrong. The holiday is not a day that “belongs” to one or more veterans, as an apostrophe suggests. It is a day to honor all veterans – so no apostrophe is required.

Veterans Day is NOT the same as Memorial Day

Many Americans are confused by this, and let's be honest – it can be a little annoying for all the living veterans out there.

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives for our country, particularly in combat or because of the wounds they sustained in combat. Veterans Day honors all who have served the country in war or peace – dead or alive – although it is primarily intended to thank living veterans for their sacrifices.

It was originally called “Armistice Day” and commemorated the end of the First World War.

World War I officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28, 1919. However, fighting ended about seven months earlier when the Allies and Germany put an armistice into effect at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

For this reason, November 11, 1918 was largely considered the end of “the war to end all wars” and was referred to as Armistice Day. In 1926, Congress officially recognized it as an end of the war, and in 1938 it became an official holiday, primarily to honor World War I veterans.

But then World War II and the Korean War happened, and on June 1, 1954, at the urging of veteran service organizations, Congress changed the commemoration once again, changing the word “armistice” to “veterans” so that American veterans would be honored on that day all wars.

For a while, the date of Veterans Day was also changed, confusing everyone

Congress signed the Uniform Holiday Bill in 1968 to ensure that some federal holidays – including Veterans Day – would be celebrated on a Monday. Officials hoped this would boost travel and other family activities over a long weekend, which would boost the economy.

For some inexplicable reason, the bill scheduled Veterans Day commemorations for the fourth Monday in October.

The first Veterans Day under this new bill took place on October 25, 1971. We're not sure why it took three years to implement, but unsurprisingly there was a lot of confusion about the change and many states were dissatisfied and decided to continue recognizing the day as before – in November.

Within a few years, it became clear that most U.S. citizens wanted to celebrate Veterans Day on November 11 because it was a matter of historical and patriotic significance. Therefore, on September 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed another law (Public Law 94-97) returning the annual celebration to its original date beginning in 1978.

Other countries also celebrate it in their own ways

World War I was a multinational effort, so it makes sense that our allies would also want to celebrate their veterans on November 11th. However, the name of the day and the nature of the commemorations differ.

Both Canada and Australia call November 11th “Remembrance Day.” Canada's custom is quite similar to ours, except that many of its citizens wear red poppies to honor their war dead. In Australia the day is more similar to our Memorial Day.

The United Kingdom also calls it Remembrance Day, but observes it on the Sunday closest to November 11 with parades, church services and two minutes' silence across the country to honor those who lost their lives in war. As in Canada, many citizens wear red poppies to honor their dead.