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First President of the United States of America
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| George Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732. Washington's Birthday was celebrated publicly for the first time while George Washington was still president. In
1885 President Chester Arthur signed a bill making February 22nd a federal holiday.
On January 1, 1971 the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. A draft of the Uniform Holidays Bill of 1968 would have renamed the holiday to Presidents' Day to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but this proposal failed in committee and the bill as voted on and signed into law on June 28, 1968 kept the offical name of Washington's Birthday. The federal holiday Washington's Birthday honors the accomplishments of the man who has been referred to, for over two centuries, as "The Father of his Country". The holiday is also a tribute to the general who created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier. It is a misconception that the holiday was renamed to "President's Day". Because the observance of Washington's Birthday was moved to the third Monday of February it meant that it would always occur after Lincoln's birthday and before Washington's birthday. Lincoln's birthday on February 12th was never a federal holiday and not all states observed it. When Washington's Birthday was moved to the third Monday those states that observed Lincoln's birthday dropped the observation for the Monday holiday.
 
 
 
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