While the well-known celebration of President’s Day is occurring this Monday, February 16, a lesser-known holiday is Lincoln’s Birthday, held yesterday on February 12. 

President’s Day is a federal holiday—officially George Washington’s birthday—held on the third Monday of February, while also celebrated to honor all those who served as presidents of the United States.

Washington’s Birthday was first declared a federal holiday in 1879 by an Act of Congress. The Uniform Holidays Act of 1968 changed the date of commemoration from Washington’s actual birthday on February 22 to the third Monday of February. 

Because of this Act, and the fact that President Lincoln’s birthday falls on February 12, many people now refer to the holiday as “Presidents Day” and consider it a day to also honor Lincoln.

New York is just one of eight states that recognizes Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, with many government offices closed for the day.

Seen as an American hero, Lincoln was the 16th President of the U.S., and is well known for his role in the emancipation of enslaved people and as an inspiring orator with humble upbringings, being born in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky to illiterate parents (though he later was known for his love of books).

Lincoln also has a connection to the origin of Black History Month, recognized during February, as many communities across the country would celebrate his birthday in conjunction with the birthday of abolitionist Frederick Douglass on February 14.

It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the month was formally recognized in the U.S., and quickly spread to other countries.

Newspapers played a crucial role in spreading awareness about Black History Month (known at first as “Negro History Week”). 

“The support of the press throughout the country cannot be overstated,” wrote Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915 and initiated Negro History Week in 1926. “Popular weeklies like the Norfolk Journal and Guide, the Philadelphia Tribune, the Chicago Defender, the St. Louis Argus, the Louisville News, and the Pittsburgh Courier wrote elaborate editorials inviting attention to Negro History Week and to the work of the Association.”

Today, Black History Month serves as a way of remembering important people and events in African-American history and celebrating the contributions of black Americans.

It is also a reminder to continue working towards equality and understanding the full scope of American history. 

In 1976, President Gerald Ford was the first president to officially recognize Black History Month, urging Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans”.

Those words still ring true today.