Show HISTORY BIRTHDAY Y OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin county Kentucky Y February 12 1809 The first formal celebration of Lincoln's birthday was held in Washington in 1866 The occasion was the gathering of both houses of Congress to listen to a Memorial address in honor of the dead President nI nl the years that followed the anniversary was observed with fitting ceremonies each year in many parts of the country By 1909 the hundredth an an- anniversary anniversary anniversary the Celebration of Lin Lin- Lincoln's coins coin's birthday had l had ad become gen eral eral- hc- hc country In 1892 the legislature re re of Illinois made Lincoln's birthday b a legal holiday in Illinois Illino Many other states in the yeas years yea s that have pass pass- passed passed ed have followed follow Illinois by pass pass-I mak mat ing the day a legal holiday The ob observance observance servance of the day has grown until un until til there is no section of the coun coun- country country try in which it is not formally ob ob- ob served It is also observed with special exercises in many schools of the country Abraham Lincoln was born in a lop log lo cabin in Hardin county the son of Thom Thorn Thomas as 35 Lincoln anc any and Nancy Hanks aara- aara uel Lincoln hl his first American an ancestor came cam from Norwich Eng Erg England land and in Hingham Massa Massachusetts Massachusetts in 1633 1638 Descendants emi emi- emigrated emigrated mi grated CIt beat and south When Lin Ln- Lincoln coIn coln was wa twenty one the family moved to Illinois where Lincoln worked as a farm laborer He be be- became I came partner in a general store in New Salem also holding the of of- office office fice of postmaster and deputy sur sur- At the age of twenty five he was elected to the state legis legis- lature At the age of thirty he open opened opened opened ed a law office in Springfield In 1846 he was elected a Representative tive to Congress He aligned him him- himself himself self sel with the antislavery forces He lie was elected to the presidency in 1860 and took office March 4 1861 I A month later the Civil war broke j i out In 1863 he issued his proclamation I tion announcing his intention to toi i free all slaves on January 1 1864 1 I He was reelected to the presidency in November 1864 and on April 4 1865 was shot in Fords Ford's theater in Washington by John Booth an actor and md died the following morning |