Arlington national cemetery, one of the world's most famous resting places of soldiers, politicians and astronauts, stretched near Washington over the Potomac river.

The need for such a memorial, the country has experienced during the Civil war. The development of military equipment has led to an unprecedented number of victims – more than 600 thousand. During the war for independence of the fallen were buried in the rural churchyards, but for the Civic, with its mass armies this order did not fit. In 1862 the U.S. Congress passed a law authorizing the government to purchase land for the burial of soldiers of the North.

Arlington national cemetery was established at that time. The land belonged to General Robert E. Lee, who commanded the army of the southern States. The northerners have posted here a military camp, but Robert's wife, Mary, who had fled the estate, had to pay the estate tax. This money (92 per dollar to 7 cents) the government has not taken from cousin Mary, put the estate up for auction and bought the very same.

In 1874, the eldest son of General has won a lawsuit against the government, returning to the earth itself. A year later he again sold it to the government, but in six times more.

May 13, 1864 buried here first soldier – a former worker of William Henry Christman, provoevavshy just five weeks. This day is considered the founding date of the cemetery. To date, there honorably buried more than 400 thousand people. The cemetery is repeatedly expanded and now it covers nearly three square kilometers. Burial traditions of the USA and Russia are different: at Arlington – no fences, manicured lawns with neat rows of tombstones.

At first there were buried the soldiers of the North and the veterans of the Civil. However, U.S. involvement in the wars changed the nature of the cemetery: here found their final resting place perished in the Spanish-American war of 1898, then the First and Second world wars, Korean, Vietnamese, global war on terror, Iraq and Afghanistan. Appeared memorials: the tomb of the unknown soldier with a huge Memorial amphitheater, a monument to the 266 sailors killed in 1898 the U. S. S. Maine, monuments astronauts exploded space Shuttle "Challenger" and female soldiers.

The right to burial at Arlington national cemetery are awarded medals, war veterans and members of their families, retired military, presidents, chairmen of the Supreme court. In the cemetery are buried John F. Kennedy and his widow Jacqueline, Secretary of state John foster DULLES, composer and musician Glenn Miller, writer Dashiell Hammett Hammett, General John Pershing, boxer Joe Louis, the polar Explorer Robert Peary and a lot of celebrities that constitute the glory and pride of the United States.

Funeral ceremonies are held daily, except weekends, at 27-30 ceremonies on the day. The tomb of the unknowns in any weather guard honor guard. Watch – only volunteers. The guard changes every half hour in summer, the ritual is beautiful and complicated: soldiers marching, freezes for exactly 21 seconds, performs a sharp turn. Twenty-one second of stillness represents twenty-one artillery barrage, the highest military honor.