Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The movement to set aside special tombs for unknown soldiers originated with World War I, a war in which soldiers died in unprecedented numbers. In the United Kingdom the grave of the Unknown Warrior was dedicated on November 11, 1920, the second anniversary of the armistice that ended the war. It is said that the idea for the tomb originated in 1916 with David Railton, an Anglican chaplain serving in France.  …

The United States followed suit shortly afterward. Congress authorized the burial of an unknown soldier on March 4, 1921, and the ceremony took place on November 11, in the plaza of the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, with Pres. Warren G. Harding officiating.  …

Many other countries have created their own unknown soldier monuments. India’s unknown soldier has been interred since 1971 under the India Gate monument in New Delhi. The Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, near Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, holds a World War I veteran but was not established until 1993. Canada’s unknown soldier is also a World War I casualty, but the monument is even newer, having opened in 2000 at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario.