Until 1971, both February 12 and February 22 were observed as federal public holidays to honor the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and George Washington (February 22).

In 1971, President Richard Nixon proclaimed one single federal public holiday, the Presidents' Day, to be observed on the third Monday of February, honoring all past president of the United States of America.

We honor all of the leaders who have served our country in good times and in bad. Take some time this Presidents' Day to learn more about these leaders.

Resources for Teachers and Students

Presidential Trivia and and Facts
Learn interesting facts on the US Presidents. Use these facts along with the pictures in the link below to creat a two page booklet on each president. http://www.classroomhelp.com/lessons/presidents.

From the White House: Decorate your classroom with pictures of all the Presidents colored in by your students. Visit: http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/presidentsday/color/
presidents.pdf for pictures of our 42 Presidents. To see how fifth graders colored the pictures and short biographies of all the Presidents see http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/presidents/index.html

A lesson plan using these resources can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/kids/guide/#section2a.