Presidents’ Day began as a celebration of George Washington’s birthday in the 1880s and was officially moved to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill in 1971, along with a proposed name change to Presidents’ Day to honor both Washington (February 22) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12). Although the official federal name remains “Washington’s Birthday,” the common name Presidents’ Day stuck due to retailers and the holiday’s proximity to Lincoln’s birthday, and it is now broadly considered a celebration of all U.S. presidents and the institution of the presidency. President’s Day video