Presidents Washington and Lincoln
Although there was interest in changing
the name to Presidents' Day, and making the
holiday one to honor both Lincoln and Washington,
Congress did not pass that legislation, so the
US holiday we observance is officially known
as Washington's Birthday.
George
Washington, first US president of the United
States - "the father of our country"
- was born on February 22 according to modern
calendars. Washington's birthday was declared
a federal holiday and first celebrated
during the final year
of his presidency.
 Abraham
Lincoln, sixteenth US president, was born
February 12. Lincoln's birthday was first commemorated
in 1865, the year after his assassination, when
both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial
address.
President Lincoln's birthday was never officially declared
a national holiday, although some (northern)
states adopted and observed it as a legal holiday
So where did "Presidents" Day originate?
The law made the first observation of the Monday
holiday for Washington's birthday effective
starting in 1971.
That year, President Nixon
proclaimed the holiday Presidents' Day,
to commemorate all past presidents, not just
Washington and Lincoln -although this was not
the intention or the law passed by Congress.
Washington's birthday and Presidents Day Links
So, although the federal holiday the US observes
on the third Monday in February is officially
Washington's birthday, the popular notion and
name for the holiday has evolved into "Presidents"
Day.
Presidents Washington and Lincoln printable worksheets.
 
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