This holiday honors one of the most admired US Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. He was the 16th President serving from 1861 to his assassination in 1865. He is remembered for the abolition of slavery, shepherding the country though the difficult Civil War period, and as the author of the Gettysburg Address.

Abraham Lincoln is an icon for the American dream. On February 12, 1809 he was born into a family on the frontier. He grew up in a modest log cabin. Worked as a store clerk, studied and became a lawyer. Eventually, he rose to hold the highest office in the country.

During his Presidency, the southern states seceded from the United States and formed the Confederacy. This event started the American Civil War. The bloodiest war ever fought on US soil. Lincoln remained President of the northern states known as the Union. Lincoln successfully led the Union in its attempt to subdue the Confederacy, and re-unite the country. During the War, Lincoln used his executive powers to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation, freed all Confederate slaves in any territory seized by Union troops. For all practical purposes, this ended slavery in the United States.

On November 16, 1863 Lincoln addressed a memorial service in honor of those troops who died on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His speech so moved the crowd, they were stunned. No one applauded. Lincoln left the service believing his speech was a flop. The next day, newspapers around the country hailed the speech as the greatest feat of oratory in the country's history. Today the Gettysburg Address is read at Memorial Day Services. It is the most quoted speech by any US President.

On April 14, 1965, John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer, shot and killed Abraham Lincoln at the Ford's Theater in Washington, DC.

In 1866, the President, Congress, and other high government officials held a memorial to honor Abraham Lincoln. Since then, 34 states have made Lincoln's Birthday a public holiday. Most states observe Lincoln's birthday on February 12. A few states observe it on the third Monday in February, in conjunction with Presidents' Day.

Note: This holiday is one of Calendar Mine's over 500 built-in observances.

See Also

Holiday Catalogue

American (USA) Observances