February 21—George Washington’s Birthday (observed)

When the Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, the federal observance of Washington’s Birthday was moved from George Washington’s birth date, February 22, to the third Monday in February.

Several states, however, have officially named this day Presidents Day to honor both Washington and Lincoln (whose birthday was February 12) or all U.S. presidents. The differing titles have sparked much debate!

To complicate matters, Washington was actually born on February 11, 1731. During his lifetime, people in America switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. As a result, those born before 1752 were told to add 11 days to their birth dates. Those born between January 1 and March 25, as Washington was, also had to add one year to be in sync with the new calendar.

Posted via email from Global Politics