The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally started         
by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in D.C.        
and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices.      

       
As the first federal holiday to honor an American president,
the holiday was celebrated on Washington’s birthday under
the Gregorian calendar, February 22.

On January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the
third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday
Act.