On Nov. 6, 1919, King George V called for all countries in the British Empire to grind to a halt for two minutes of silent reflection, to honour those killed in the First World War. The moment would be held on Nov. 11, at 11 a.m., to coincide with the anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended the war.
The king’s words helped settle a vigorous debate in Canada’s House of Commons, where MPs were discussing how best to honour the roughly 60,000 Canadians killed in the war. That was the highest death count, by far, in Canada’s history up to that point, and Canadian politicians knew they had to find some way to honour those sacrifices. When King George suggested the moment of silence, Parliament readily embraced it as a perfect way to pay tribute to the fallen.
Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, a South African author, originally suggested the two minutes of silence in a letter to the king’s personal secretary, just days before King George issued his recommendation. The first minute would be used to remember the fallen, and the second to remember the surviving families of the dead.
King George's letter went out to all governments in the British Empire on Nov. 6, and was published in most national newspapers the following morning.
In Canada, George Foster, the acting prime minister, read the letter in the House of Commons.
"I believe that my people in every part of the Empire fervently wish to perpetuate the memory of that great deliverance and of those who laid down their lives to achieve it," the king wrote. He then proposed two minutes of silence be held on Nov. 11, "so that in perfect stillness the thoughts of every one may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead."
King George added that no "elaborate organization" seemed necessary to accomplish the moment of silence. "At a given signal, which can be easily arranged to suit the circumstances of each locality, I believe that we shall all gladly interrupt our business and pleasure whatever it may be and unite in this simple service of silence and remembrance."
King George's letter was accompanied by further instructions from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, outlining how to implement the moment of silence. "Trains will be stopped on the railways, traffic on the streets, ships as far as possible at sea, and every effort will be made to get work suspended everywhere in schools, shops, mines, and factories to ensure complete silence," the message said.
The recommendation was quickly embraced in the House of Commons, and on Nov. 11, 1919, Canada joined most of the other members of the British Empire in marking the first-ever Armistice Day, to remember those killed in the First World War.
In the decade or so that followed Canada’s first Armistice Day, the holiday was paired with Thanksgiving and held on the Monday of the week in which Nov. 11 fell. However, after a few years of this practice, the Canadian Legion began lobbying for Armistice Day to be held exclusively on Nov. 11. Their efforts were successful in 1931, when the Canadian government renamed the holiday Remembrance Day, and fixed it to occur on Nov. 11 each year.
Many countries now observe Remembrance Day, Armistice Day or Veterans’ Day (in the United States) on Nov. 11, in keeping with King George’s original recommendation, and in honour of the end of the First World War.
King George V's full letter is shown below.
"To all my people:
"Tuesday next, November 11th, is the first anniversary of the armistice which stayed the world-wide carnage of the four preceding years, and marked the victory of right and freedom. I believe that my people in every part of the Empire fervently wish to perpetuate the memory of that great deliverance and of those who laid down their lives to achieve it.
"To afford an opportunity for the universal expression of this feeling it is my desire and hope that at the hour when the armisitice came into force, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, there may be for the brief space of two minutes a complete suspension of all our normal activities. During that time, except in rare cases where this might be impracticable, all work, all sound and all locomotion should cease, so that in perfect stillness the thoughts of every one may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead.
"No elaborate organization appears to be necessary. At a given signal, which can be easily arranged to suit the circumstances of each locality, I believe that we shall all gladly interrupt our business and pleasure whatever it may be and unite in this simple service of silence and remembrance.
-George R.I."
