Presidents’ Day is observed annually on the third Monday in February.

It is a federal holiday in the United States that was originally established in 1879 to commemorate the birthday of George Washington, the first President of the United States. Since then, the holiday has evolved to recognize all presidents who have served the needs of the country.

George Washington’s birthday falls on February 22nd and was celebrated as a separate holiday for many years.

In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved several Federal holidays to Mondays to create more three-day weekends for workers. In 1971, the implementation of the Uniform Monday Holiday Law (82 Stat. 250) moved the celebration of Washington’s Birthday to the third Monday in February. Additionally, some reformers wanted to change the name of the holiday to Presidents’ Day, in honor of both Lincoln and Washington. However, the proposal was rejected by Congress, and the holiday is still officially recognized as Washington’s Birthday. While the name change has never been authorized by Congress, it has gained a strong hold on the public consciousness to honor all U.S. Presidents and is generally used on calendars, in advertising, and by many government agencies. (Source: National Archives and GovInfo.gov.