Civics trivia

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Presented by the League of Women Voters.

1. Which statement about Decoration Day (the predecessor to Memorial Day) is not true?

a) The first national Decoration Day took place on May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery, VA.

b) About 11,250 white and Black Union soldiers were buried at the Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868.

c) No Confederate soldiers were buried at the Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868.

2. Which state officially recognized Decoration Day as a holiday in 1873, becoming the first to do so?

a) New York.

b) Pennsylvania.

c) Virginia.

3. Which 19th-century poet did not write a poem suitable for Decoration Day?

a) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

b) John Greenleaf Whittier.

c) Emily Dickinson.

Last week’s answers

1. Which statement about Memorial Day is not true? Answer: In 1868, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant called for a nationwide day of remembrance for the soldiers who died during the Civil War.

2. When did the holiday evolve to honor all American military personnel who died in wars? Answer: After World War I.

3. When did Congress establish Memorial Day as the last Monday in May? Answer: 1968.