Happy Birthday, James Madison! Or is it belated Happy Birthday? James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, was born under the Julian Calendar – the Old Style – just before Great Britain’s calendar reform.
The Julian Calendar was ordered by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C. and followed a twelve month system based on the solar year. It consisted of three years at 365 days, and the fourth year a leap year at 366 days. In the twelve century England began observing the new year on March 25th, making the last day of the year the 24th of March.
By 1582 it was apparent that the Julian Calendar leap year had overcompensated for the length of a solar year, and added a full day every 128 years, so Pope Gregory XIII authorized the new style, or Gregorian Calendar, which cut ten days from October, and recalculated the leap year to occur only in years divisible by four hundred. January 1st was established as the first day of the new year.
England, its colonies, and other protestant countries continued to observe the Julian calendar until an act of Parliament changed the calendars in 1752. By that time another day had been added, making the Julian Calendar eleven days longer than the Gregorian. Holidays and holy days were falling in the wrong season. Great Britain dropped eleven days from September and moved the first day of the new year to January 1st.
For those living in colonial times, as well as for today’s genealogists and historians, the change created a bit of confusion. James Madison, who was born March 5, 1750 (OS) now found his birthday on March 16, 1751, for not only were eleven days removed from the calendar, but the start of the new year was moved as well. Madison continued, when asked for his birthday, to reply with the March 5th date.
I rather think Mr. Madison would prefer for history to prevail with a March 5th birthday. And for those of us trying to trace our roots a word of caution: is it Old Style or New Style? Julian or Gregorian? It could make all the difference in confirming the missing link in your family history!
Happy 265th belated birthday, James Madison!
Celebrate here with Madison’s Montpelier!