The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved U.S. Memorial Day to the last Monday in May beginning in 1971.
Congress passed the law in 1968 to create more three-day weekends by shifting several federal holidays to Mondays. Memorial Day had traditionally been observed on May 30, regardless of the weekday. The change applied to Memorial Day, Washington’s Birthday, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day, although Veterans Day was later returned to November 11.
The law did not immediately change the holiday’s meaning. Memorial Day remained a day for remembering U.S. military personnel who died while serving. A common mix-up is confusing the law’s 1968 enactment with the first year of the Monday observance, which was 1971.