Sarah Ignatius, a descendant of Armenians who lived during the Ottoman Empire, was in front of a television Saturdayto hear the historic announcement. President Biden, fulfilling a campaign promise, recognized that century-old atrocities against Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in modern-day Turkey were genocide. The White House announcement coincided with Armenian Remembrance Day, which marks the beginning of the tragic period on April 24, 1915. âIt took a lot of courage for Biden to speak the truth and stand up for human rights around the globe,â said Ignatius, executive director of the National Association for Armenian Studies & Research in Belmont. Advertisement She spoke from Washington, D.C., where she is visiting her 100-year-old father, former US Navy secretary Paul R. Ignatius.