In a historic first, the Co-Chairman of the Turkey Caucus, Congressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia, participated in a solemn Congressional visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reports.

The lawmakers laid flowers at the eternal fire to pay tribute to the memory of 1.5 million victims of the Armenian Genocide.

They also toured the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute to learn more about the exhibits and left a note in the book of memories.

Armenians commemorate the mass killings on April 24 because on that date in 1915 a group of Armenian intellectuals was rounded up and assassinated in Constantinople by the Ottoman government. On April 24, Armenians worldwide will be commemorating the 104th anniversary of the Genocide which continued until 1923. Some three dozen countries, hundreds of local government bodies and international organizations have so far recognized the killings of 1.5 million Armenians as Genocide. Turkey denies to this day.