Armenian people celebrate Republic Day—the day declaration of the First Republic of Armenia—on May 28. On this day in 1918, the Armenian statehood, which had been disrupted for centuries, was restored.

In May, in Gharakilisa, Bash-Aparan, and Sardarapat, Armenian regular forces and volunteers managed to win life-and-death battles against the Turkish invaders, stopping their advance and their desire to completely conquer Armenia. With this May victory, the independence of the Armenian people, lost about nine centuries ago, was restored.

On May 26, 1918 the Transcaucasian Seim was dissolved, Azerbaijan and Georgia had gained independence, it was Armenia's turn, and on May 28, the Armenian National Council in Tbilisi declared the independence of Armenia.

The First Republic of Armenia was able to create all the attributes characteristic of a state in a short time: it elected a parliament, whose first speaker was Avetik Sahakyan, and formed a government, whose first prime minister was Hovhannes Kajaznuni. However, the life of the First Republic of Armenia lasted only two years.

On December 2, 1920, the Bolshevik 11th Red Army entered Armenia. Since 1991, when Armenia regained independence, May 28 began to be officially celebrated as the first Republic Day.

In 1968-1978, a memorial was built in Sardarapat, dedicated to the historic battle fought against the Turkish invaders in Sardarapat on May 22-28, 1918. The opening of the memorial took place on the fiftieth anniversary of this heroic battle.