President's Day - Holidays - Timelines of Liberty

TimeLines of Liberty
American Holidays

One Votes Counts	U.S. TimeLine	TimeLine Index	State TimeLines	Flag TimeLine
Presidency TimeLine		Holiday TimeLines	American Wars

President's Day - TimeLine

Observed by some states on the Third Monday in February

President's Day - TimeLine - Links

President's Day

President's Day is not and has never been a Federal Holiday. When Washington's birthday was moved to be observed on the third Monday confusion with the state holidays called 'President's Day' came about.
Many states have combined Washington and Lincoln's birthdays to a single holiday to honor them and all other Presidents.
The Federal Holiday is 'Washington's Birthday', however due to misunderstandings and common ussage the public often refers to it as 'President's Day.'
Today 'President's Day' has become an important commercial day when stores hold sales to sell off their winter goods before stocking for spring.

President's Day TimeLine

1700s

Celebrations of George Washington's birthday began while he was still alive.
See Washington's Birthday - TimeLine of Liberty

1865

President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while in the attendance of the play "Our American Cousin" in Ford Theater. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth on Good Friday, April 14, 1865 in City, State.
See Lincoln's Birthday - TimeLine of Liberty

1885

Hol

President Chester Arthur signed the bill that made Washington's Birthday Federal Holiday. Some felt that Lincoln deserved a day of honor as well. Some states enacted Lincoln's Birthday as a holiday and eventually some created a President's Day to honor both Washington and Lincoln.

early
1950s

Mon

A Uniform Monday Plan was first suggested by NATO (National Association of Travel Organizations) in the early 1950s; calling to combine Washington and Lincoln's birthdays to the third Monday in February to be named President's Day; Memorial Day to the fourth Monday in May; Independence Day to the first Monday in July; and Veterans Day tot he second Monday in November. The plan was adopted in a few states but not all. The effort shifted to lobbying for a Federal Holiday Bill.

1968

Mon

HR 15951 was enacted that set the date for many of the federal holidays to simplify the holiday calendar while creating more three day weekends. Washington's Birthday was shifted to the third Monday in February each year.

1971

Mon

The holidays affected by the 1968 legislation begin to be celebrated on their respective Mondays.
President Nixon signed Executive Order 11582, in 1971, that concerned the Observance of holidays by Government agencies.

Other Links:

Washington's Birthday - TimeLine of Liberty                          Patriotic Poetry
Lincoln's Birthday - TimeLine of Liberty                                Patriotic Rhymes
TimeLines of the Presidents.                                                   Patriotic Haiku poems
TimeLines of the first Presidents                                             Founding Father Rhymes
TimeLine of American History

Sources for the TimeLine of President's Day:
www.calendar-updates.com/info/holidays/us/president.aspx - www.snopes.com/holidays/presidents/presidentsday.asp -
http://www.ideamarketers.com/?The_Origin_of_Presidents_Day&articleid=440968

Index

Sources

One Votes Counts	U.S. TimeLine	TimeLine Index	State TimeLines	Flag TimeLine
Presidency TimeLine		American Wars	The Early Presidents