50 Fun Facts About Presidents' Day

Which Monday of February is Presidents' Day?

That places it somewhere between February 15 and 21, so it never lands on Washington's real birthday.

Which 1794 agreement with Britain did Washington back despite French Revolution tensions?

He kept the United States neutral during the French Revolution while defending the unpopular treaty at home.

In which year did the federal holiday honoring Washington begin?

It first applied only to government offices in Washington, D.C., and was extended to all federal offices in 1885.

Which 1968 law gave federal workers a three-day weekend in February?

It also moved Memorial Day and made Columbus Day a federal Monday holiday, taking effect on January 1, 1971.

In which year did the Monday observance of Washington's Birthday take effect?

The law was signed in 1968 but did not kick in for another two and a half years.

Between which dates of February can the holiday fall?

Because the window ends on the 21st, the holiday can never coincide with Washington's February 22 birthday.

On what date was George Washington born, by the modern calendar?

Under the old Julian calendar still used by Britain at the time, the date was recorded as February 11, 1731.

In which year did the British Empire switch to the Gregorian calendar?

Washington was alive for the change and adjusted his own birthday to match the new calendar.

How many days behind the Gregorian calendar was the Julian calendar by the 1730s?

On top of that, the British civil year began on March 25, so February dates belonged to the previous year.

Which president's birthday, February 12, do some states fold into Presidents' Day?

His birthday was never a federal holiday, but nearly half the states honour him alongside Washington.

Which state pairs Washington with Thomas Jefferson in its holiday name?

Jefferson was actually born in April, which makes the February pairing a little odd.

Which state calls the holiday "George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Bates Day"?

Daisy Bates was a civil rights leader who mentored the Little Rock Nine.

Which state officially calls it "George Washington Day"?

It is Washington's home state, and his adopted hometown of Alexandria holds celebrations throughout February.

Which state uses the generic term "The third Monday in February" for the holiday?

California also keeps Lincoln's Birthday as a separate state holiday on February 12.

Which state does not observe the Washington's Birthday federal holiday at all?

It has no day celebrating Washington or presidents in general.

Which state's governor issues a "Presidents Day" proclamation on May 29, JFK's birthday?

It honours the presidents with roots in the state: Kennedy, both Adamses and Calvin Coolidge.

Which state observes Washington's Birthday on Christmas Eve?

Its Lincoln's Birthday observance falls on the day after Thanksgiving.

In New Mexico, when is Presidents' Day taken as a paid state holiday?

The legal public holiday is still the third Monday in February; the paid day off is just moved.

Who formed the President's Day National Committee in 1951?

The Compton, California, man wanted to honour the office of the presidency rather than any one president.

Which date did the 1951 campaign first propose as Presidents Day?

It was the original inauguration day, but the bill stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Which group is credited with pushing "Presidents' Day" into public use by the mid-1980s?

The holiday has since become best known for deep discounts on appliances, furniture and especially mattresses.

Which food is traditionally linked to the holiday?

It comes from the legend of young Washington chopping down a cherry tree, a tale spread by biographer Mason Locke Weems.

Which medal bearing Washington's image was revived on his 200th birthday in 1932?

Washington created the first military badge of merit for the common soldier.

Which document has been read in the US Senate on Washington's birthday since 1862?

Citizens requested the reading in light of the ongoing Civil War.

Which Florida town has held an annual GeorgeFest since 1902?

Laredo, Texas, and Alexandria, Virginia, both host monthlong tributes as well.

Which city claims the nation's longest-running George Washington Birthday parade?

It was Washington's adopted hometown, and its celebrations run throughout February.

Which sports league holds its All-Star festivities over the Presidents' Day weekend?

No games are played on the holiday itself; the season resumes the following Thursday.

Which NASCAR race is traditionally run the day before Presidents' Day?

Bad weather has occasionally pushed the finish onto the holiday itself, most recently in 2024.

Which style guide uses the form "Presidents Day" with no apostrophe?

The possessive 'President's Day' is the legal rendering in eight states.

Which other holiday did the 1968 law move, before it returned to its date in 1978?

It had been shifted to the fourth Monday in October before Congress restored November 11.

Which holiday did the 1968 law newly make federal?

It was set on the second Monday in October, having previously been observed only in some states on October 12.

Which Japanese policy resembles the 1968 US three-day-weekend law?

The Philippines has a comparable approach known as holiday economics.

In which years did George Washington serve as president?

He took the oath at Federal Hall in New York City on April 30, 1789.

Where did Washington take the oath of office in 1789?

New York City was then the national capital.

Which river did Washington cross before the Battle of Trenton?

The wins at Trenton and Princeton revived Patriot morale at a low point of the war.

Where did Washington's army spend the winter of 1777–78?

Around 11,000 men went into quarters there, north of Philadelphia, in December 1777.

Which 1781 battle was the last significant fight of the Revolutionary War?

Washington led a combined French and American force to the decisive victory.

Which French general marched south with Washington in the 1781 'celebrated march'?

The march that began on August 19 is now known as the 'celebrated march'.

What was the name of Washington's plantation home?

He leased it from his brother Lawrence's widow in 1752 and inherited it outright in 1761.

Whom did Washington marry in January 1759?

She was a wealthy 27-year-old widow, and the marriage brought him control of a large dower estate.

What profession did young Washington take up with a licence from William & Mary?

Thomas Fairfax appointed him to survey Culpeper County even though he had skipped the usual apprenticeship.

Which cash crop replaced tobacco on Washington's estate in the 1760s?

He also expanded into flour milling and hemp farming to diversify his holdings.

Which Pennsylvania revolt over a liquor tax did Washington face as president?

It ran from 1791 to 1794 and tested the new federal government's authority.

Whom did Washington ask in 1792 to draft his valedictory address?

Historian Ron Chernow later called it one of the most influential statements on republicanism.

On what date did Washington die?

Modern doctors think severe epiglottitis, worsened by heavy bloodletting, was the likely cause.

Who eulogized Washington as "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen"?

Lee was then governor of Virginia and the father of Robert E. Lee.

Which writer's 1809 biography spread the tale of the hatchet and the tree?

His accounts have never been proven or disproven, but they fostered enduring myths.

Contrary to legend, Washington's dentures were NOT made from which material?

They used metal, ivory, bone, animal teeth and human teeth; he kept only one natural tooth.

What rank was Washington posthumously given during the 1976 Bicentennial?

The appointment ensured he would always outrank every other US officer.

Which US coin carries Washington's portrait?

He is also on the one-dollar bill and a presidential one-dollar coin.