National Doctors' Day

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In the United States, National Doctors' Day is a day set aside to remember the contributions made to society by doctors. Doctors' Day was first observed in 1933 as a local celebration in Barrow County, Georgia, to commemorate the date on which Crawford W. Long, M.D., administered the first ether anesthetic for surgery on March 30, 1842. It was started by Eudora Brown Almond of Winder, GA. On March 30, 1958, the United States House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Doctors' Day. In 1990, the congress and the senate approved legislation establishing National Doctors Day. The resolution designating March 30 as National Doctors' Day was signed by President George H. W. Bush in February 21, 1991. The first National Doctor's Day was celebrated in 1991. The red carnation has become the symbol of Doctor's Day because it denotes the qualities of love, charity, sacrifice, bravery, and courage.