The United States began celebrating its first president when he was still a general. Nearly 300 years since George Washington’s birth, the holiday has morphed into a celebration of the presidency.

According to the National Archives, the day commemorates the births of two United States presidents — George Washington, who was born on Feb. 22, and Abraham Lincoln, who was born on Feb. 12.

Claire Dickey is a Newsweek senior editor based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on personal finance news, with extensive coverage related to credit cards and banking. Claire joined Newsweek in ...

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