When was Memorial Day first declared a national holiday, was it by proclamation or law, and under what Pres.?
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Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was created to celebrate Union soldiers in the Civil War. It was declared a national holiday in 1868 by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic. It was not officially recognized by the federal government as a national holiday until Congress passed the National Holiday Act of 1971, which also moved the date from May 30th to the last Monday in May.
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El Cinco de Mayo("The Fifth of May" in Spanish) is a national celebration in Mexico. It commemorates the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza over the French expeditionary forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
95034
May 5.  Specifically, the holiday that celebrates the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla.
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Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on May 30 and is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who died in military service for their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. Today, some Americans apparently use Memorial Day weekend to also honor family members who have died. Church services on the Sunday prior to Memorial Day may include a reading of the names of members who have died during the previous 12 months.
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Wikipedia has a good article on this topic.  President Lincoln made it official national holiday to the last Thursday of November, but was later changed by FDR and by the Congress to the fourth Thursday of November.  You can read more details about it here:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving#1939_to_present
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may 29,1790\n\n\n~thanx for the points~
250424
The state of Illinois enacted the law to celebrate the birthday of Casimir Pulaski on June 20, 1977, and the first official celebration of the holiday was in 1978.
1055752
Here is a sampling of the information available at the web site listed below:\n\n\nThe "FLAG CODE" \n\n\nPrevious to Flag Day, June 14, 1923 there were no federal or state regulations governing display of the United States Flag. It was on this date that the National Flag Code was adopted by the National Flag Conference which was attended by representatives of the Army and Navy which had evolved their own procedures, and some 66 other national groups. This purpose of providing guidance based on the Army and Navy procedures relating to display and associated questions about the U. S. Flag was adopted by all organizations in attendance. \n\nA few minor changes were made a year later during the Flag Day 1924 Conference, It was not until June 22, 1942 that Congress passed a joint resolution which was amended on December 22, 1942 to become Public Law 829; Chapter 806, 77th Congress, 2nd session. Exact rules for use and display of the flag (36 U.S.C. 173-178) as well as associated sections (36 U.S.C. 171) Conduct during Playing of the National Anthem, (36 U.S.C. 172) the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, and Manner of Delivery were included. \n\nThis code is the guide for all handling and display of the Stars and Stripes. It does not impose penalties for misuse of the United States Flag. That is left to the states and to the federal government for the District of Columbia. Each state has its own flag law. \n\nCriminal penalties for certain acts of desecration to the flag were contained in Title 18 of the United States Code prior to 1989. The Supreme Court decision in Texas v. Johnson; June 21, 1989, held the statute unconstitutional. This statute was amended when the Flag Protection Act of 1989 (Oct. 28, 1989) imposed a fine and/or up to I year in prison for knowingly mutilating, defacing, physically defiling, maintaining on the floor or trampling upon any flag of the United States. The Flag Protection Act of 1989 was struck down by the Supreme Court decision, United States vs. Eichman, decided on June 11, 1990. \n\nWhile the Code empowers the President of the United States to alter, modify, repeal or prescribe additional rules regarding the Flag, no federal agency has the authority to issue 'official' rulings legally binding on civilians or civilian groups. Consequently, different interpretations of various provisions of the Code may continue to be made. The Flag Code may be fairly tested: 'No disrespect should be shown to the Flag of the United States of America.' Therefore, actions not specifically included in the Code may be deemed acceptable as long as proper respect is shown.
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He's the national saint of Ireland and the Irish celebrated his feast day on the 17th of March. When the Irish started immgrating during the famine they brought this tradition with them, the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in New York in the 18th century by Irish soliders in the British military, they wanted to connect with their fellow Irishmen abroad and reconnect to their roots and since then Americans have celebrated this holiday, probably due to the fact that 34 million of them claim Irish descent. This is not an offical holiday in the United States though.
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June 6 should always be remembered for our FREEDOM! 6-6-1944 D-Day  the Normandy Invasion! Never forget.
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Though the Fourth of July is almost iconic to Americans, some claim the date itself is somewhat arbitrary. New Englanders had been fighting Britain since April 1775. The first motion in the Continental Congress for independence was made on June 8. After hard debate, the Congress voted unanimously (12-0), but secretly, for independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 2. The Congress reworked the text of the Declaration until a little after eleven o'clock, July 4th, when twelve colonies voted for adoption and released an unsigned copy to the printers. (New York abstained from both votes.) Philadelphia celebrated the Declaration with public readings and bonfires on July 8. Not until August 2 would a fair printing be signed by the members of the Congress, but even that was kept secret to protect the members from British reprisal.
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As soon as it was enacted.  The First Amendment is a part of the US Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land.  Any legislation or law can only be a law if it complies with the constitution.\n\nSo I guess the answer to your question would be December 15, 1791 when it was passed or ratified by the states and added to the constitution.
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April 19th, Patriot's Day, celebrated in Massachusetts as well as a couple of other New England states. It was the day the the Americans began to fight the British in seeking their independence from Britain. The battles took place in Lexington and Concord where the first shot has been described as "The shot heard around the world."\n\nIt would be fitting to honor those patriots who began the fight for freedom and risked their lives in doing so. Indeed a national holiday would be appropriate.
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Flag Day, which is celebrated every June 14th because on June 14,1777 the first flag of the US was dedicated.
367147
Yes, I celebrate it. While it's not an officially recognized holiday in the US, it is celebrated by pagans here. We refer to it as Beltane more often than May Day.
414613
The focus is on the Emancipation Proclamation as a military measure for ending the war. Early in the war, Lincoln moved cautiously on the issue of slavery. However, he changed his policy after the first year of fighting. On September 22, 1862, Lincoln issued the proclamation, promising freedom to all slaves in the Confederate States that did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863.
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1993 first year but voted for in 1992\n\nA number of states resisted celebrating the holiday. Some opponents said King did not deserve his own holiday—contending that the entire civil rights movement rather than one individual, however instrumental, should be honored. Several southern states include celebrations for various Confederate generals on that day. Arizona voters approved the holiday in 1992 after a tourist boycott. In 1999, New Hampshire changed the name of Civil Rights Day to Martin Luther King, Jr., Day