Happy Presidents Day!

Happy Presidents Day!

"Presidents Day originated in the 1880s when the birthday of George Washington was celebrated as a federal holiday. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. During the debate on the bill, it was proposed to have George Washington’s birthday be renamed Presidents Day to honor the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Washington’s birthday is February 22nd and Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th. Although Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated in many states, it was never an official federal holiday. Following much discussion, Congress rejected the name change. However, after the bill went into effect in 1971, Presidents Day became the commonly accepted name."(1)

1. National Day Calendar. (2017) Presidents Day - Third Monday in February. Accessed 2017.02.15. Retrieved from http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/presidents-day-third-monday-in-february/
Credit for both halves of this animated gif to Phoebe Migliano for her adaptations from WikimediaCommons