<P> In the national capital in 1913 the four - day "Blue - Gray Reunion" featured parades, re-enactments, and speeches from a host of dignitaries, including President Woodrow Wilson, the first Southerner elected to the White House since the War . James Heflin of Alabama gave the main address . Heflin was a noted orator; his choice as Memorial Day speaker was criticized, as he was opposed for his support of segregation; however, his speech was moderate in tone and stressed national unity and goodwill, gaining him praise from newspapers . </P> <P> One of the longest - standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, an auto race which has been held in conjunction with Memorial Day since 1911 . Originally it was held on Memorial Day itself, and since 1974 it runs on the Sunday preceding the Memorial Day holiday . Since 1961 NASCAR's Coca - Cola 600 has been held during Memorial Day weekend, and has also been held on the previous Sunday since 1974 . Since 1976 The Memorial Tournament golf event has been held on or close to the Memorial Day weekend . The final of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship is held on Memorial Day . </P> <P> The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day," which was first used in 1882 . Memorial Day did not become the more common name until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967 . On June 28, 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three - day weekend . The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May . The law took effect at the federal level in 1971 . After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress' change of date within a few years . </P> <P> Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the unofficial beginning of summer . The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) advocated returning to the original date, although the significance of the date is tenuous . The VFW stated in 2002: </P>

When was memorial day declared a national holiday