Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, at Sinking Spring Farm in Kentucky. Lincoln was the nation’s 16th president, serving from March 4, 1861, to April 15, 1865, and elected to two terms. In 1832, Lincoln served in the Illinois Militia as captain in the Black Hawk War. The conflict pitted the United States against Native Americans lead by Sauk leader Black Hawk, but Lincoln did not participate in any combat. Lincoln served in the Illinois state legislature from 1834 to 1842 and then in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1847 to 1849. Presidents Day, a national holiday, celebrates all U.S. presidents, past and present, in honor of George Washington, the first U.S. president.