80-year-old Homewood resident to discuss Veterans Day origins

Niki Sepsas will speak at the Homewood Public Library on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. The 80-year-old resident will explain how the holiday now known as Veterans Day originated as Armistice Day, a date set aside to honor World War I servicemen before expanding to recognize all military personnel.

Sepsas has lived in Homewood for many years, though his time in the United States is only a portion of his global experience. He has stood on all seven continents and visited more than 120 countries. His travels have included climbing Kilimanjaro, floating over the Serengeti in a hot-air balloon, kayaking in Antarctica, and paddling up Amazon basin rivers. He has also walked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu multiple times.

He spends three to four months each year lecturing aboard cruise ships. This career path began after Sepsas trained as a tour guide in Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Turkey. He later moved into adventure travel, which led to assignments in the Amazon and on camel safaris before he joined the cruise industry. He has now spent 30 years in this line of work.

Sepsas’s journey to a life of travel began in the Norwood neighborhood, a few miles north of downtown Birmingham. He attended Phillips High School and was admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He left the academy after failing calculus and completed his degree in history and English at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

After serving in the Army, Sepsas worked as a ski instructor in Utah and as a coal miner. He later worked on offshore oil rigs in the Arctic Ocean, Southeast Asia, the North Sea, and the Middle East. He has published more than 1,000 travel articles in over 50 national, regional, and local publications. He has also written several memoirs, commentary e-books, a history of Greek immigration to the United States, and a novel titled Song of the Gypsy.

Sepsas married Sherri Sepsas in 2016 after meeting her in a ballroom dance class. The couple resides in Homewood with their miniature schnauzer, Calista. Sepsas said he enjoys walking with his family and friends in the neighborhood. He noted that the dog often takes the lead during their walks.

Sepsas said he finds it interesting to visit places associated with historical events, such as battlefields, ghost ships, and the Bermuda Triangle. He will share these observations and the history of the November 11th holiday during his presentation at the library.