Abraham Lincoln's 200th
Birthday
Even though Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday anniversary isn’t until Feb. 12, 2009, the commemoration activities have begun. They will continue through 2010.
Lincoln was born in a log cabin Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Ky. His family moved to Indiana when he was 7 and then to Illinois in 1830. His early life is the stuff of legend, growing up hard and largely self-educated.
The young Lincoln won his first political office — the Illinois state legislature — in 1834. He achieved a law degree in 1837 and moved to Springfield, Ill., to practice. He married Mary Todd in 1842.
Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1846, but after a controversial term, he chose not to run for reelection. He continued to build his law practice and reputation in Springfield and Illinois.
He ran for the U.S. Senate in 1858 but was defeated by rival Stephen Douglas after a famous series of debates. His national prominence grew in the turbulent years before the war and he won the Republican nomination for President in 1860 and the subsequent election.
The war started shortly after his inauguration, and Lincoln endured almost exactly four years of war. His leadership and his determination to “save the Union” is the source of his continuing fame.
Lincoln was shot while attending a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington April 14, 1865. He died early the next morning. His body was returned to Springfield after a grand funeral procession across the country. He is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery there.
The 200th birthday commemoration itineraries and events:
The major places devoted to Lincoln’s life:
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