The History Behind National Days of Mourning

A national day of mourning for Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, was held on January 9. Professor of Education Alan Singer talked to Newsday about the history of national days of mourning and how they are observed.

Dr. Singer said, “There are no official criteria” for what constitutes a nationwide time to mourn or another symbolic nationwide pause. He also noted that a handful have been declared in modern American history for incidents besides the death of a president.

President George W. Bush declared a national day of mourning for 9/11. In 1968, Dr. Singer said, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared national days of mourning for both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy because “they were national leaders who were assassinated.”