( CNN ) -- Nations honored those who sacrificed their lives in wars on Wednesday , in many cases for the first time without any surviving veterans of World War I . Services took place around the world to mark the 91st anniversary of the armistice signed between Germany and the Allies on November 11 , 1918 . Depending on where it is celebrated , the day is alternatively known as Armistice Day , Remembrance Day , Poppy Day or Veterans Day . In Britain , Queen Elizabeth led Remembrance Day ceremonies in Westminster Abbey , a service also attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other senior politicians and military leaders . The day has special resonance because the last remaining veterans , William Stone , Henry Allingham and Harry Patch , all died this year . The dignitaries joined people around the country in observing the traditional two-minute silence . The Very Rev . Dr. John Hall , dean of Westminster , began the service by talking about the moment when the guns fell silent in Europe 91 years ago . `` We remember , with grief , the gas and the mud , the barbed wire , the bombardment , the terror , the telegram ; and , with gratitude , the courage and sacrifice . Never again , they said ; the war to end all wars . With resolution we remember , '' Hall said . In Paris , French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a ceremony under the Arc de Triomphe . Australians observed one minute silence at 11 a.m. , in memory of those who died or suffered in all of the nation 's wars and armed conflicts . `` Their loss is a reminder that there is nothing glorious about war . Those called upon to fight know that better than anyone , '' Gen. Peter Cosgrove , chairman of the Council of the Australian War Memorial , said Wednesday . `` But they also know that , when all else fails , it is necessary to fight against the tyrannies that threaten liberty . That cause transcends the ages , and it is a noble one . '' U.S. military forces , especially those in Iraq and Afghanistan , also were to observe Veterans Day , keenly aware of the costs of war . In the United States , the sacrifices of the military in the raging war in Afghanistan and the winding-down war in Iraq stand front and center in the nation 's consciousness . President Barack Obama paid tribute Wednesday to those who have lost their lives in the nation 's wars , as well as to the men and women who currently serve . `` There 's no tribute , no commemoration , no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice , '' he said in a speech at Arlington National Cemetery , on a rainy , overcast Veterans Day . Earlier , the president had laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns . Millions were killed in World War I , which lasted from 1914 to 1918 . France , Britain and the United States defeated Germany and its allies , such as Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire .
Nations honor those who sacrificed their lives in wars on November 11 , 1918 . In many cases services took place for first time without any surviving veterans of World War I . Services mark 91st anniversary of armistice signed between Allies and Germany on Wednesday .