The holiday was officially established in Massachusetts in 1894 by Governor Frederic T. Greenhalge. The first observance took place on April 19 of that year, chosen to align with the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which occurred in 1775.
This new civic holiday was created to replace Fast Day, a solemn public observance dating back to the colonial era. The change marked a shift toward commemorating a key historical event in the founding of the United States. While initially celebrated on the fixed date of April 19, the observance was moved in 1969 to the third Monday in April, creating a three-day weekend.
The establishment of this day created a formal, state-recognized occasion to honor the first armed conflicts of the American Revolutionary War. Its purpose is to commemorate the historical significance of the events that transpired on April 19, 1775, and it remains a statutory holiday in both Massachusetts and Maine.
