Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday was celebrated on February 12, 2009, and many other events commemorating Lincoln's life will take place throughout 2009.
Below are some of the most useful and popular resources related to the Lincoln Bicentennial.
The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
The official US government site for the Lincoln Bicentennial, and a great starting place to find out about Lincoln and how his 200th birthday will be celebrated.
The commission's Bicentennial Calendar is constantly updated, and each day of the month lists noteworthy events commemorating Lincoln's life.
Lincoln Bicentennial Featured at C-Span
C-Span has created an excellent web site to commemorate the Lincoln Bicentennial. Visitors can watch an impressive collection of programs about Lincoln from the C-Span archives, including interviews with noted Lincoln authors as well as features on Lincoln's life.
There is also a commendable library of Lincoln texts, including the complete transcripts of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates and the texts of Lincoln's major speeches, including the Cooper Union Address, the Gettysburg Address, and the Inaugural Addresses.
An extra bonus is an intelligently assembled photo gallery of Lincoln images.
Regional Commemorations of the Lincoln Bicentennial
Abraham Lincoln was born on the frontier in Kentucky, lived in rural Indiana as a child, and settled in Illinois, where he would rise to political prominence. Each state has special events planned to mark their special connection with Lincoln.
- Kentucky: Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
- Indiana: Lincoln Bicentennial 1809-2009
- Illinois: Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
The nation's capitol is also hosting major commemorations of Lincoln's life:
- Washington, DC: Lincoln in DC, Living the Legacy
The New Lincoln Penny
The US Mint is releasing a redesigned Lincoln penny to mark the Lincoln Bicentennial.
The new pennies will actually feature four separate designs on the reverse (the "tails" side) of the coins:
