Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Commemorations are set this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I -- known as the Great War and the War to End All Wars -- with events around Europe that will include numerous world leaders.
The observances began Sunday when French President Emmanuel Macron greeted German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Notre Dame Cathedral in Strasbourg, France, Euronews reported.
Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire fought Britain, the United States, France, Russia, Italy and Japan during the war that killed more than 9 million people. Germany signed an armistice agreement on Nov. 11, 1918, outside of Compiégne, France, to end the war.
Several world leaders traveled to France Sunday for events to honor those who died. President Donald Trump is planning to visit this weekend, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump.
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In London Sunday night, military veterans, called Yeoman Warders or Beefeaters, lit 10,000 flames at the Tower of London to mark the occasion. The display was created to highlight the loss of life during the war.
"We remembered them at the Tower on the anniversary of the start of the war, and it feels equally appropriate that we should again commemorate their sacrifice 100 years after hostilities came to an end," Gen. Nick Houghton, former British chief of defense staff and constable of the Tower, told the Evening Standard.
"Many of the Tower community have served in the Armed Forces, and it is important for us to ensure that those who lived, served, fought and died during this time continue to be remembered and that the lessons from these conflicts continue to be shared."
