Many presidents have been featured on stamps over the years, including, clockwise from top left, Warren Harding (1930), Thomas Jefferson (1923), William McKinley (1927), Ulysses Grant (1923), James Monroe (1923), James Garfield (1922), Woodrow Wilson (1925), Benjamin Harrison (1926) and Theodore Roosevelt (1922).
Presidents' Day, a federal holiday that honors presidents of the United States, will be observed Monday, February 19, this year.
The holiday traces its roots to celebrations that commemorated George Washington during the early 19th century. After Washington’s death in 1799, his birthday was celebrated informally across the young nation.
In 1879, Congress declared February 22 — Washington’s birthday — a federal holiday.
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 moved Washington’s Birthday to the third Monday of each February. With the holiday no longer attached to the former president’s date of birth, the day came to symbolize the recognition of a growing list of presidents.
Today, the date is widely accepted as an occasion to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present.
In addition to observing Presidents' Day, USPS salutes presidents through its stamp program, including recent releases honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.
The National Archives and Records Administration site has more information about the holiday’s origins.
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