Brow Beat

Every U.S. Presidents Day, Ranked From Worst to First

Although U.S. President George Washington didn’t live to celebrate a single Presidents Day, he was one of the first Americans to observe Washington’s Birthday.

Gilbert Stuart/Wikimedia Commons

Regardless of political orientation, every American has strong opinions about the best and worst Presidents Days in our nation’s history. People who dedicate their lives to the study of the past feel even more strongly than civilians—you can’t put a group of U.S. historians in the same room for more than five minutes before they start bickering over their favorites. But which Presidents Days were empirically the greatest? To answer that question, Slate polled billions of academics, historians, pundits, and car dealers,* and compiled their thoughts on the most historically significant, influential, and all around greatest Presidents Days into this ranking, which runs from the worst Presidents Day in American history all the way to the very best. (We started with 1880, back when it was called Washington’s Birthday—which, technically, it still is.) Where do your favorite Presidents Days land?

138. Feb. 22, 1936
137. Feb. 17, 1992
136. Feb. 22, 1896
135. Feb. 16, 1987
134. Feb. 22, 1960
133. Feb. 22, 1969
132. Feb. 15, 2016**
131. Feb. 20, 1989
130. Feb. 22, 1911
129. Feb. 22, 1892
128. Feb. 22, 1916
127. Feb. 21, 2000
126. Feb. 16, 1998
125. Feb. 22, 1918
124. Feb. 22, 1901
123. Feb. 21, 1972
122. Feb. 19, 2007
121. Feb. 22, 1962
120. Feb. 16, 1976
119. Feb. 22, 1961
118. Feb. 22, 1935
117. Feb. 19, 1973
116. Feb. 21, 2011
115. Feb. 22, 1886
114. Feb. 22, 1941
113. Feb. 22, 1947
112. Feb. 22, 1958
111. Feb. 22, 1921
110. Feb. 22, 1944
109. Feb. 22, 1952
108. Feb. 22, 1907
107. Feb. 15, 1999
106. Feb. 15, 1971
105. Feb. 22, 1965
104. Feb. 22, 1893
103. Feb. 22, 1908
102. Feb. 22, 1948
101. Feb. 22, 1924
100. Feb. 22, 1950
99. Feb. 22, 1927
98. Feb. 22, 1932
97. Feb. 22, 1903
96. Feb. 22, 1891
95. Feb. 22, 1880
94. Feb. 22, 1956
93. Feb. 22, 1966
92. Feb. 18, 2008
91. Feb. 22, 1946
90. Feb. 22, 1920
89. Feb. 22, 1883
88. Feb. 16, 2009
87. Feb. 15, 1988
86. Feb. 18, 1991
85. Feb. 22, 1957
84. Feb. 21, 1977
83. Feb. 22, 1888
82. Feb. 18, 1980
81. Feb. 22, 1931
80. Feb. 20, 1995
79. Feb. 22, 1934
78. Feb. 17, 1975
77. Feb. 22, 1897
76. Feb. 22, 1959
75. Feb. 22, 1945
74. Feb. 22, 1919
73. Feb. 22, 1915
72. Feb. 22, 1906
71. Feb. 19, 1990
70. Feb. 22, 1909
69. Feb. 17, 1997
68. Feb. 22, 1904
67. Feb. 17, 2003
66. Feb. 22, 1954
65. Feb. 21, 1994
64. Feb. 17, 1986
63. Feb. 15, 1993
62. Feb. 17, 2014
61. Feb. 22, 1949
60. Feb. 22, 1938
59. Feb. 22, 1926
58. Feb. 18, 2013
57. Feb. 22, 1895
56. Feb. 20, 1984
55. Feb. 22, 1925
54. Feb. 19, 1979
53. Feb. 22, 1890
52. Feb. 20, 1978
51. Feb. 22, 1889
50. Feb. 22, 1914
49. Feb. 22, 1882
48. Feb. 18, 1985
47. Feb. 22, 1968
46. Feb. 16, 1981
45. Feb. 18, 2002
44. Feb. 22, 1885
43. Feb. 15, 1982
42. Feb. 15, 2010
41. Feb. 20, 2006
40. Feb. 22, 1898
39. Feb. 22, 1894
38. Feb. 22, 1900
37. Feb. 22, 1912
36. Feb. 22, 1943
35. Feb. 19, 2001
34. Feb. 22, 1917
33. Feb. 22, 1910
32. Feb. 22, 1951
31. Feb. 22, 1881
30. Feb. 22, 1963
29. Feb. 22, 1929
28. Feb. 22, 1913
27. Feb. 21, 2005
26. Feb. 22, 1940
25. Feb. 22, 1967
24. Feb. 22, 1939
23. Feb. 22, 1923
22. Feb. 22, 1902
21. Feb. 21, 1983
20. Feb. 22, 1955
19. Feb. 22, 1942
18. Feb. 22, 1928
17. Feb. 22, 1884
16. Feb. 22, 1937
15. Feb. 16, 2004
14. Feb. 20, 2012
13. Feb. 22, 1970
12. Feb. 16, 2015
11. Feb. 22, 1930
10. Feb. 22, 1905
9. Feb. 20, 2017
8. Feb. 22, 1922
7. Feb. 22, 1899
6. Feb. 22, 1933
5. Feb. 22, 1887
4. Feb. 22, 1964
3. Feb. 22, 1953
2. Feb. 19, 1996
1. Feb. 18, 1974

We’re sure you’ll find plenty to argue with on this list (was Feb. 22, 1911 that much worse than Feb. 22, 1916?), but even in these divisive times, we can all agree on one thing: America’s best Presidents Days are still ahead of her.

*Note: Not really.

**Update, Feb. 20, 2017: Due to an editing error, the 132nd greatest Presidents Day in American history (Feb. 15, 2016) was originally omitted from this list.