Presidents Day (officially still called Washington’s Birthday at the federal level) wasn’t “made” by one lone person, but by a series of congressional acts and political figures over time.

Quick Scoop

  • The original holiday was created by Congress in 1879 as a federal holiday honoring George Washington’s birthday (February 22). It applied first to federal workers in Washington, D.C.
  • The bill was signed into law by President Rutherford B. Hayes on January 31, 1879, which formally “made” Washington’s Birthday a federal holiday.
  • In 1885 , Congress expanded the holiday so it applied to all federal offices, cementing Washington’s Birthday as a nationwide federal holiday.
  • The broader modern idea of “Presidents Day” developed later, especially with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 , which moved the celebration to the third Monday in February to create a long weekend.
  • That 1968 law was championed in Congress by people like Representative Robert McClory of Illinois , who pushed to shift several holidays (including Washington’s Birthday) to Mondays.
  • An early proposal would have officially renamed the day “Presidents’ Day” to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but that renaming failed in committee , so federally it remains “Washington’s Birthday.” The popular name “Presidents Day” grew through state laws, advertising, and public usage rather than a single creator.

So, in everyday terms:

  • Who made Presidents Day?
    • Legally: Congress, through the 1879 act (signed by President Hayes) that created Washington’s Birthday as a federal holiday, plus the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act that moved it to a Monday.
* Culturally: Over time, **states, businesses, schools, and the general public** turned “Washington’s Birthday” into the broader “Presidents Day” we talk about now, honoring multiple or all U.S. presidents.

You can think of it this way:
Washington’s Birthday (the legal holiday) was made by Congress and President Hayes in 1879 , but “Presidents Day” as most people use the term was “made” by decades of tradition, marketing, and state-level choices.

TL;DR:

  • Created as “Washington’s Birthday” by Congress in 1879 , signed by President Hayes.
  • Shifted to a Monday by the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
  • Became widely known as “Presidents Day” through public and commercial usage, not a single official renaming.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.