President’s day is celebrated on the third Monday in February. This holiday was established in 1885 in recognition of the first president of the United States, George Washington. This holiday was eventually revised to celebrate past and present United States presidents. The date was changed to the third Monday in February to create a three-day weekend and to reduce employee absenteeism. In addition to recognizing Presidents’ Day, many states also celebrate Washington or Lincoln’s birthday, which both take place in February. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are the two most recognized American leaders, but Presidents’ Day is now seen as a day to recognize the lives and achievements of all America’s chief executives.
The United States Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 6 (AKA the Flag Code) specifies days in which it is particularly appropriate to display the US Flag. You are encouraged to fly the flag on all days that do not have inclement weather, but the flag should be flown on February 19th, Presidents’ Day.
Here are some fun facts about United States presidents:
- John Tyler fathered the most children, fifteen.
- Andrew Jackson taught his parrot to swear. It had to removed from his funeral because he wouldn’t stop swearing.
- Richard Nixon played the most musical instruments: clarinet, saxophone, cello, violin, piano, and accordion.
- Ulysses S. Grant was given a $20 speeding ticket for riding his horse too fast down the street.
- Calvin Coolidge had the most pets: 6 dogs, a pygmy hippo, a wallaby, an antelope, 2 lion cubs, a cat, a goose, a donkey, and a bobcat.
- James A Garfield was the only ambidextrous president and he could write a sentence in Greek with one hand and in Latin with the other hand.
- William Taft gained the most weight in office. He gained 50 pounds in one term and lost 75 pounds after leaving the office.
- Richard Nixon funded his first congressional campaign by winning poker games.
Have a great Presidents’ Day!
