Patriots' Day was first proclaimed a public holiday in Massachusetts in 1894 by Governor Frederic T. Greenhalge. The inaugural observance took place on April 19 of that year, replacing the state's former Fast Day holiday.
The date of April 19 was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which occurred on April 19, 1775, and marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. While initially celebrated on this fixed date, both Massachusetts and Maine (which began observing the holiday in 1907) moved its observance to the third Monday in April, starting in 1969. This change aligned the regional holiday with the federal Uniform Monday Holiday Act.
The holiday's creation institutionalized the remembrance of the first military engagements of the Revolution within the states where those events transpired. Today, the day is synonymous with significant civic events, including historical reenactments and the annual running of the Boston Marathon, which has been held on Patriots' Day since 1897.
