PRESIDENTS’ DAY (U.S.)

Though this day is commonly called Presidents’ Day, the federal holiday is still called “Washington’s Birthday,” contrary to popular belief. It is one of eleven permanent holidays established by Congress. George Washington’s actual birthday is February 22, but we observe federal holidays on Mondays (in this case, the third Monday of February). To complicate matters, Washington was actually born on February 11 in 1731 because the country switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar during his lifetime (something most of Europe had done in 1582). As a result of this calendar reform, people 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. By the time Washington became president in 1789, he celebrated his birthday on February 22 and listed his year of birth as 1732. Upon entering office, Washington was not convinced that he was the right man for the job. He wrote, “My movements to the chair of government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a culprit, who is going to the place of his execution.” Fortunately for the young country, he was wrong. You can read more about Washington at www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents.

Every Year

• NATIONAL FLAG OF CANADA DAY
• SUSAN B. ANTHONY’S BIRTHDAY

1560s

• BORN 1564: GALILEO GALILEI (ASTRONOMER)

1760s

• 1768: FIRST MUSTARD MANUFACTURED IN U.S. ADVERTISED IN PHILADELPHIA, PA

1790s

• BORN 1797: HENRY E. STEINWAY (PIANO MANUFACTURER)

1800s

• BORN 1803: JOHN SUTTER (PIONEER)

1820s

• BORN 1820: SUSAN B. ANTHONY (REFORMER)

1950s

• BORN 1951: MELISSA MANCHESTER (SINGER)
• BORN 1951: JANE SEYMOUR (ACTRESS)
• BORN 1954: MATT GROENING (CARTOONIST; CREATOR OF THE SIMPSONS)

1960s

• BORN 1964: CHRIS FARLEY (ACTOR)
• 1965: CANADA OFFICIALLY ADOPTED A NEW FLAG; THE RED MAPLE LEAF BECAME THE NEW SYMBOL, REPLACING THE UNION JACK
• DIED 1965: NAT KING COLE (SINGER)

1980s

• 1982: OCEAN RANGER OFFSHORE DRILLING RIG SANK IN STORM OFF NEWFOUNDLAND
• DIED 1984: ETHEL MERMAN (SINGER & ACTRESS)

1990s

• 1995: RARE SIGHTING OF YELLOW-BILLED LOON, LAKE POWELL, UTAH

2000s

• DIED 2002: HOWARD K. SMITH (NEWSCASTER)
• DIED 2004: JAN MINER (ACTRESS WHO GAINED FAME AS MADGE, THE MANICURIST IN PALMOLIVE TELEVISION ADS)
• 2005: KYOTO PROTOCOL GLOBAL CLIMATE TREATY TOOK EFFECT

2010s

• 2018: PARTIAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN.

COURTESY www.almanac.com