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Bush Pays Tribute to First US President
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=164FB9B:A6F02AD83191E16056E10CDED3DCFA249574F7DCC14957C0 February is the
birth month of two of the most renowned US presidents - George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln President Bush has paid tribute to the
first U.S. president, George Washington, in celebration of the 275th
anniversary of Washington's birth.

Mr. Bush spoke Monday at George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, in
Virginia.

The president said George Washington was a champion of liberty and a
central figure in the American colonists' struggle for independence
from Britain. Mr. Bush said the U.S. continues to stand up to tyranny
and terror.

Millions of Americans are getting a day off from work for Monday's
observance of Presidents' Day.

February is the birth month of two of the most renowned U.S.
presidents - George Washington (1732) and Abraham Lincoln (1809). The
holiday was first officially celebrated in 1885 to honor Washington's
birthday on February 22. He was the country's first president.

Americans in many states also celebrated Lincoln's February 12
birthday after his assassination just days after the end of civil war
in 1865, but it was not a federal holiday.

The U.S. Congress passed an act in 1968 which made the third Monday in
February the official observance of Washington's birthday. However,
Americans generally consider what has become known as Presidents' Day
as a celebration to honor both Washington and Lincoln.


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