On Thursday, Nov. 26, 1789, George Washington woke early ... He had an important aim that day: to celebrate Thanksgiving. Washington had thought carefully about this Thanksgiving, the first ...

Officially known as Washington's Birthday, the first federal holiday of the year was originally meant to honor the country's first president, George Washington. According to the then-used Julian ...

On October 3, 1789, George Washington issued his Thanksgiving proclamation, designating “a day of public thanks-giving” to be held on “Thursday the 26th day of November” that year.