Presidents' Day

Our modern Presidents' Day celebration has evolved from the original holiday established in 1800 to commemorate George Washington's birthday. Washington's actual birthday, February 22, was the official date for the national holiday until 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill moving a number of federal holidays to Mondays.

Still legally known as Washington's Birthday, Presidents' Day has become a day to honor not only Washington, but Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president who was born on February 12,  as well as the lives and accomplishments of all U.S. presidents.

The holiday now provides workers another "long weekend" which was the intent of the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill. Celebrations are conducted in Washington DC and other cities across the country and sales for mattresses and other retail goods have become a hallmark.

Interesting Facts about US Presidents:
- Calvin Coolidge (1923-29) kept the most pets, including 6 dogs, a bobcat, a goose, a donkey, a cat, an antelope, a wallaby, 2 lion cubs and a pygmy hippopotamus.

- John Tyler (1841-45) fathered the most children - 15.

- Richard Nixon (1969-74) played the most  musical instruments - piano, clarinet, accordion, saxophone, cello, violin

- William Taft (1909-13) gained the most weight - 50 pounds in one term (he also lost 75 after leaving office).

- James Madison (1809-17) was the first to wear long pants

- John Quincy Adams (1825-29) was the first president to be photographed (no cell phones then!)

- Rytherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) was the first to use a telephone.

- Barack Obama (2009 - 2016) was the first to write his own Email.

- James Buchannan (1857-61) was the only bachelor president.

- Ronald Regan (1981-89) was the only divorced president.

- Andrew Jackson (1829-37) survived a duel and lived 40 years with a bullet in his chest.

- Chester A Aurthur (1881-85) had the longest sideburns - they reached his lapels.

Find more information about US presidents at http://www.history.com.