Editor's Note: This article is one of three sidebars to "Time to Take Note: The 1752 Calendar Change" by Kip Sperry. Read also "A Brief History of Time" by Jake Gehring and "The Complexities of Leap Year."
The birth date of George Washington illustrates how the Old Style calendar and New Style calendar are used. George Washington (1732-99), the first president of the United States, was actually born 11 February 1731 under the Old Style (Julian) calendar, on his father's estate in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Thus, he was born 11 February 1731/32 using double dating. That is, he was born on the 11th of the month in 1731. However, his birth date is observed on 22 February 1732 under the New Style (Gregorian) calendar.
Ancestry Magazine
