Lincoln's Birthday is an annual observance in the United States that honors the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, who was born on February 12, 1809.

Table of Contents

1. When is Lincoln's Birthday?
2. The History of Lincoln's Birthday?
3. What Do People Do on This Day?
4. Who is Abraham Lincoln?

When is Lincoln's Birthday?

In Connecticut, Lincoln's Birthday is observed annually on February 12 as a state holiday, regardless of the day of the week.

The following is the list of Lincoln's Birthdays.

The History of Lincoln's Birthday?

Lincoln's Birthday is a day to celebrate his life, legacy, and contributions, particularly his leadership during the Civil War and his role in ending slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation and the passage of the 13th Amendment.

Lincoln's Birthday was first celebrated informally in the years following his assassination in 1865. Public admiration for Lincoln's leadership and sacrifice during a tumultuous period in U.S. history inspired communities to commemorate his birth.

In 1874, Buffalo, New York, was among the first places to hold organized events marking Lincoln's Birthday. By the late 19th century, several states, particularly in the North, began formally recognizing the day.

Illinois, Lincoln's home state, led efforts to honor him with a state holiday. It remains a recognized holiday there to this day. Some states adopted Lincoln's Birthday as a holiday, while others chose to combine it with Washington's Birthday into what is now known as Presidents' Day.

Although Lincoln's Birthday is not a federal holiday, it played a significant role in the establishment of Presidents' Day, which honors both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in many states.

What Do People Do on This Day?

On Lincoln's Birthday, people honor the legacy of Abraham Lincoln with various activities and traditions that celebrate his life, achievements, and enduring influence on the United States.

Schools and Libraries host lectures, discussions, and storytelling sessions about Lincoln's presidency, the Civil War, and the abolition of slavery.

People visit landmarks associated with Abraham Lincoln including the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., his birthplace in Hodgenville, Kentucky, and his home in Springfield, Illinois.

Some communities host parades with floats, music, and reenactors dressed as Lincoln or Civil War soldiers. Movies and documentaries about Lincoln's life, such as Lincoln (2012), are often shown on or around this day.

In some states, Lincoln's Birthday is combined with Presidents' Day (the third Monday in February), where broader celebrations include all U.S. presidents.

Who is Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in American history. Known for his leadership during the Civil War and his efforts to abolish slavery, Lincoln's legacy as a champion of democracy and equality endures.

Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in a log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. He grew up in poverty on the frontier in Kentucky and later Indiana. He had less than a year of formal schooling but avidly read and studied on his own.

He worked as a farmer, rail-splitter, store clerk, and surveyor. He studied law independently and became a lawyer in 1836. After he moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he established a successful law practice.

He was elected as a member of the Whig Party, supporting internal improvements and economic modernization in 1834. He served one term in Congress from 1847 to 1849, opposing the Mexican-American War and slavery's expansion.

He was elected as the first Republican President in 1860 and then reelected in 1864 during the height of the Civil War.

He was assassinated on April 14, 1865, at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., just days after the Civil War ended, and died the following morning. He was the first U.S. president to be assassinated.