On This Day

The Menin Gate war memorial is unveiled at Ypres

The Menin Gate (Dutch: Menenpoort), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the...

The Menin Gate (Dutch: Menenpoort), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The memorial is located at the eastern exit of the town and marks the starting point for one of the main roads that led Allied soldiers to the front line.

Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and built by the Imperial War Graves Commission (since renamed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission), the Menin Gate Memorial was unveiled on 24 July 1927. In early 2023, the monument was closed for extensive restoration works, and the work was completed in Spring 2025.

Historical Significance

The Menin Gate (Dutch: Menenpoort), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown.

Events Before

  1. A major flood on the Rhine River strikes Cologne

    Cologne is the fourth-most populous city of Germany and the largest city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and over 3.1 million...

  2. American songwriter Irving Berlin (37) weds heiress and writer Ellin Mackay (23) in a simple civil ceremony in NYC, unti

    American songwriter Irving Berlin (37) weds heiress and writer Ellin Mackay (23) in a simple civil ceremony in NYC, until her death in 1988

  3. Abdulaziz Ibn Saud becomes King of Nejd and Hejaz, forerunner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    Abdulaziz Ibn Saud becomes King of Nejd and Hejaz, forerunner of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

  4. American comedian George Burns (28) weds American comedienne Gracie Allen (31), until her death in 1964

    American comedian George Burns (28) weds American comedienne Gracie Allen (31), until her death in 1964

  5. John Logie Baird gives the first public demonstration of television in his laboratory in London

    John Logie Baird gives the first public demonstration of television in his laboratory in London

Events After

  1. Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) begins broadcasting in the Netherlands

    Algemeene Vereeniging Radio Omroep (AVRO) begins broadcasting in the Netherlands

  2. Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black reports his findings on the ancient human fossils found at Zhoukoudian, China, in the

    Paleoanthropologist Davidson Black reports his findings on the ancient human fossils found at Zhoukoudian, China, in the journal Nature and declares them to be a new species he names 'Sinanthropus pekinensis' (now known as 'Homo erectus')

  3. American actress Mary Astor (21) weds American film director Kenneth Hawks (30) at her family home "Moorcrest" in the Ho

    American actress Mary Astor (21) weds American film director Kenneth Hawks (30) at her family home "Moorcrest" in the Hollywood Hills, until his death in 1930

  4. Industrialist Oskar Schindler (19) weds Emilie Schindler (20) in Svitavy, Czech Republic

    Industrialist Oskar Schindler (19) weds Emilie Schindler (20) in Svitavy, Czech Republic

  5. RCA and GE install three test television sets in homes in Schenectady, New York, allowing trials of inventor E.F.W. Alex

    RCA and GE install three test television sets in homes in Schenectady, New York, allowing trials of inventor E.F.W. Alexanderson's first home television receiver; a poor and unsteady 1.5-square-inch picture is received from a radio transmitter

More from the 1920s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 24, 1927?
The Menin Gate (Dutch: Menenpoort), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown. The memorial is located at the eastern exit of the town and marks the starting point for one of the main roads that led Allied soldiers to the front line. Designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield and built by the Imperial War Graves Commission (since renamed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission), the Menin Gate Memorial was unveiled on 24 July 1927.
Why is The Menin Gate war memorial is unveiled at Ypres significant?
The Menin Gate (Dutch: Menenpoort), officially the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, is a war memorial in Ypres, Belgium, dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient of World War I and whose graves are unknown.

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