Presidents' Day is an annual holiday observed in the United States to honor the nation's presidents, especially George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It is celebrated on the third Monday in February. The birthdays of Washington and Lincoln fall near or on the holiday. Washington, the nation's first president, was born on Feb. 22, 1732, according to the calendar we now use. Lincoln, who served as president during the American Civil War (1861-1865), was born on Feb 12, 1809. A federal holiday called Washington's Birthday also occurs on the third Monday in February. It became a legal public holiday in 1971. Later, many states adopted Presidents' Day instead, to honor not only Washington, but other presidents as well, especially Lincoln. Presidents' Day is sometimes called Washington-Lincoln Day. On Presidents' Day, banks, government offices, libraries, and schools close. Most private businesses remain open. Many stores hold Presidents' Day sales. from World Book "Hail to the Chief" Hail to the Chief - has a long and storied history. According to The Book of World-Famous Music, Classical, Popular and Folk (1995. Dover: New York), by James J. Fuld, the music has been attributed to a mysterious "Mr. Sanderson," who may or may not be the English songwriter James Sanderson. The words of the song (which are rarely sung, if remembered by anyone) are attributed in the book to Walter Scott. According to Fuld, the words first appeared in his " The Lady of the Lake" tune. "Hail to the Chief" was first published in the U.S. in about 1812. It was also called "March and Chorus in the Dramatic Romance of the Lady of the Lake" by a Philadelphia music publisher, according to Fuld. The song was first played to announce the arrival of the president on March 4, 1837, when it accompanied Martin Van Buren's inauguration. THE ONE DOLLAR BILL Sites with President's Day information, or about our Presidents. The White House Portraits of the Presidents and First Ladies The American Presidency Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States The Presidents Internet Public Library President's Day Quiz Who is that? Print a Word Search of the US Presidents American Presidents: Life Portraits Our Presidents Our presidents, our presidents, We honor them today. Our presidents, our presidents, We honor them today. Remembering presidents of the past, And honoring him who serves today. Our presidents, our presidents, We honor them today. Unknown