Stephen Foster Memorial Day2026 · Date · History
36 U.S.C. §140 authorizes annual presidential designation of January 13 as Stephen Foster Memorial Day. President Truman’s Proclamation 2957, issued December 13, 1951, designated January 13, 1952 and each succeeding January 13; it identifies the date as the anniversary of Foster’s death in 1864.
About Stephen Foster Memorial Day
Stephen Foster Memorial Day is a United States commemorative observance on January 13. Current 36 U.S.C. §140 says the President may issue a proclamation each year designating that date for the memorial.
President Harry S. Truman issued Proclamation 2957 in December 1951, designating January 13, 1952 and each succeeding January 13 as Stephen Foster Memorial Day.
Why Stephen Foster Memorial Day matters
The observance remembers songwriter Stephen Collins Foster through commemorative ceremonies and musical programs. The federal text describes a memorial observance rather than a general federal public holiday.
Foster’s music belongs to a nineteenth-century cultural setting that is studied from both musical and historical perspectives. Modern programs can use primary sources and scholarship to place the works in context rather than treating every song or performance tradition uncritically.
History of Stephen Foster Memorial Day
Congress approved the source joint resolution on October 27, 1951, authorizing a presidential proclamation for January 13, the anniversary of Foster’s death in 1864.
President Truman issued Proclamation 2957 on December 13, 1951. It designated January 13, 1952 and each succeeding January 13 as Stephen Foster Memorial Day.
Title 36 was recodified in 1998. The current provision at 36 U.S.C. §140 continues to authorize an annual presidential proclamation for January 13.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
United States Congress
Congress enacted the 1951 joint resolution authorizing the memorial-day proclamation.
President Harry S. Truman pursuant to authorization by the United States Congress
Public Law 225, 82nd Congress / Presidential Proclamation 2957
First documented observance
Proclamation 2957 designates January 13, 1952 and each succeeding January 13.
Recodified the observance at 36 U.S.C. §140 while continuing the annual January 13 proclamation authority.
United States Congress · Public Law 105-225, Title 36 recodification
President of the United States (annual proclamation authority)
36 U.S.C. §140 provides that the President may issue a proclamation each year.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe Stephen Foster Memorial Day
Read the current text of 36 U.S.C. §140 and the 1951 proclamation to see how the federal observance is framed.
Explore museum, library or archival material about Stephen Foster and nineteenth-century American music.
Listen to or study historically contextualized performances rather than assuming every older lyric or stage tradition carries the same meaning today.
If attending a memorial program, check the organizer’s current schedule instead of assuming offices, schools or businesses are closed.
Stephen Foster Memorial Day Facts
Stephen Foster Memorial Day is associated with January 13 in the United States.
36 U.S.C. §140 permits the President to issue an annual proclamation designating January 13 as Stephen Foster Memorial Day.
The source federal authorization dates to October 27, 1951.
President Truman’s Proclamation 2957 designated January 13, 1952 and each succeeding January 13 for the memorial.
The date was chosen as the anniversary of Stephen Foster’s death in 1864.
The observance is commemorative and is not established by §140 as a general federal closure holiday.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
U.S. Code — 36 USC §140, Stephen Foster Memorial Day (opens in a new tab)
Federal Statute
U.S. Government Publishing Office — Proclamation 2957 (opens in a new tab)
Federal Proclamation
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Stephen Foster Memorial Day?
13 January annually The documented recurrence rule is: 13 January.
Does Stephen Foster Memorial Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Stephen Foster Memorial Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United States / federal commemorative observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Stephen Foster Memorial Day?
The reviewed sources identify President Harry S. Truman pursuant to authorization by the United States Congress as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as United States Congress. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as President of the United States (annual proclamation authority).
Is Stephen Foster Memorial Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: United States / federal commemorative observance.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-04.
When is Stephen Foster Memorial Day?
It is observed on January 13.
What is the federal basis for the observance?
Current 36 U.S.C. §140 authorizes an annual presidential proclamation designating January 13 as Stephen Foster Memorial Day.
When was the first federally designated observance?
President Truman’s 1951 proclamation designated January 13, 1952 as the first date under that proclamation and extended the designation to succeeding January 13 dates.
Why January 13?
The 1951 proclamation identifies January 13 as the anniversary of Stephen Foster’s death in 1864.
Is it a general federal public holiday?
No. The reviewed federal law establishes a commemorative proclamation framework, not a nationwide automatic closure holiday.
Other observances on January 13
These observances are also listed on January 13, 2027.
Korean American Day
Current congressional materials support January 13 as Korean American Day and connect it with the first Korean immigrants’ arrival in 1903 and Korean American contributions
National Sticker Day
StickerGiant identifies National Sticker Day on 13 January and states that it created the day in 2016.
National Take the Stairs Day
The American Lung Association describes National Take the Stairs Day as an annual observance on the second Wednesday of January.