Lincoln's Birthday (observed) in 2024

Lincoln's Birthday (observed) in Indiana

Indiana recognizes Lincoln's Birthday as a holiday on the day after Thanksgiving.

When is Lincoln's Birthday?

Lincoln's Birthday is a legal holiday celebrated in some U.S. states on February 12th.

Abraham Lincoln's birthday is a state holiday in California, Connecticut, Missouri, and Illinois, falling on February 12th, regardless of the day of the week.

Indiana recognizes Lincoln's Birthday as a holiday on the day after Thanksgiving.

History of Lincoln's Birthday

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th 1809 in LaRue County, Kentucky.

He became the 16th president of the United States in 1860. Notably, he was president during the American Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

Less than two weeks after the surrender by the Confederates, he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth as he watched a play at the Ford's Theatre on April 14th 1865.

Did you know?

Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president at 6 feet 4 inches tall.

The day is marked by the laying of wreaths at his birthplace in Kentucky and at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

There is some debate over when Lincoln's Birthday was first celebrated as a holiday. Despite efforts by some to make it a legal holiday, it always suffered as Lincoln's birthday was close to that of a previous famous president, George Washington, who was born on February 22nd, whose birthday was already taking hold as a national holiday.

The unofficial renaming of Washington's birthday as Presidents' Day is a way of honoring both Washington and Lincoln and of course, the contribution that all Presidents have made to the United States of America.

Did you know?

Many famous people have claimed to have seen Abraham Lincoln's ghost in the White House, including Winston Churchill, President Lyndon Johnson, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, First Lady Grace Cooldige and Theodore Roosevelt.