February - AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH
Dr. Carter G. Woodson first launched ‘Negro History Week’ in 1926. Woodson chose February because Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass have birthdays in February.
March - WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
In 1978, Sonoma County, California, sponsored a ‘Women’s History Week.’ The week of March 8th was selected to include ’International Women’s Day.’ In 1981, Congress passed a resolution making the week a national celebration, and in 1987 expanded it to the full month of March.
May - ASIAN/PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH
Enacted in 1992, ‘Asian Pacific Heritage Month’ was the culmination of an earlier Resolution passed in 1978, when `Asian Pacific American Heritage Week` was declared. May was selected because of two significant events: Japanese immigrants first arrived in the United States in May, and the transcontinental railroad was completed in May.
May - NATIONAL OLDER PEOPLES MONTH
‘National Older Peoples Month’ was established by presidential proclamation in 1963.
June - LESBIAN GAY BISEXUAL TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH
The Stonewell Riots was a landmark event on June 1969. In 1999, ‘Gay and Lesbian Month’ was made a national celebration by presidential proclamation.
September - HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
In 1968, ’National Hispanic Heritage Week’ was initiated. In 1988 Congress included the days between September 15 and October 15. ‘Hispanic Heritage Month’ begins on September 15 because this day marks the anniversary of independence for five Hispanic countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico achieved independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.
October - DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONTH
’National Disability Employment Awareness Month’ began with a presidential proclamation in 1988. This law replaced ’National Employ the Handicapped Week’ which had occurred annually since 1945 during the first week of October.
October - GERMAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
October 6 was proclaimed in 1983 as German-American Day. On the day in 1683, Germantown, PA was founded.
October - ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Coincides with Columbus Day which commemorates Columbus’s arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492.
October - POLISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
The national celebration began in 1986.
November - AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH
This month honors and recognizes all Native, Indigenous, and Aboriginal. In 1986, Congress had enacted legislation designating ‘American Indian Heritage Week.’ In 1990, a Joint Resolution designated the month of November as ‘National American Indian Heritage Month.’
December - UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN in 1948.