Jefferson Davis – the president of the Confederate states from 1861-1865 – was born on June 3, 1808. Alabama marks that occasion every year with an official state holiday.
The first Monday in June is celebrated as Jefferson Davis’ birthday in the state. This year, the official holiday falls on Davis’ actual birthday.
Davis is not an Alabama native. He was born in Kentucky and later represented Mississippi in Congress before serving as U.S. Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce. Davis was the unanimous choice of the Confederate Convention for president, taking the oath of office in Montgomery, Alabama on Feb. 18, 1861. Davis was captured at the close of the Civil War, accused of treason and imprisoned, though never tried. He was released two years later and spent his retirement years on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The Davis holiday is one of three in Alabama that honors Confederate leaders: Robert E. Lee's birthday, which is marked in January on the same day as Martin Luther King Day; Confederate Memorial Day in April; and Davis' birthday in June.
The state holiday means some offices and agencies will be closed June 4.
Here's what's open and what's closed:
Alabama state offices - closed
Alabama state courts - closed
Car tag offices - Open in some counties, closed in others where Davis' birthday is observed.
U.S. Post Office - normal operations
Banks - open
City and county offices - Most are open
The White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery - Closed June 3-5.
Alabama is the last state to have a legal holiday set aside solely to commemorate the birth of Davis. Mississippi marks Davis’ birthday but includes it in the Memorial Day celebration. In Texas, Davis’ birthday is part of “Confederate Heroes Day” while other Southern states, including Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee, have a holiday for Davis on the books but do not give employees a day off.
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