Does anyone celebrate his or her birthday on the third Monday of a month? "Of course not," huffed Rep. Frank Wolf. "So why do we diminish the memory of the greatest American by turning his birthday into nothing more than a three-day weekend," Wolf asked a Congressional subcommittee today. There's a move afoot in Congress to observe the Feb. 22 birthday of George Washington, the Father of Our Country and First President of the United States, on Feb. 22 instead of on the third Monday in February. Wolf and Rep. Gerry Connolly, who represent areas of Prince William County and Manassas, and Rep. Jim Moran,, who represents the area that includes Mount Vernon, George Washington's home, are co-sponsors of the bill.

A great deal happened in 2011. The Observer newspapers picked the top 10. The top story had to be the 150th commemoration of the start of the Civil War. The top four will appear here from Jan. 3 to Jan. 6, 2012. All 10 appear in the print edition of the Observer.

Sesquicentennial of the Civil War event scene shifts to Woodbridge and Dumfries VA Sept. 24-25 to mark the Blockade of the Potomac.

Judy Cook stands outside the Henry Hill Visitor Center at Manassas National Battlefield Park. Inside, she presented an evening musical program called “Women of the Civil War” on Aug. 6. She told stories about women who had loved ones in the Civil War, and incorporated song by playing the English concertina she is holding.

The Manassas Museum is hosting a major collaborative exhibit that seeks to interpret Virginia's role and importance in the Civil War; the exhibit has an online component too.

Prince William County and Manassas commemorate 150th Civil War anniversary.

The 150th Civil War anniversary was commemorated July 21-24 in Manassas and Prince William County.

Thousands of young men from the north and south converged on the fields of Manassas 150 years ago to see who would be the victor on July 21, 1861. The battle, known as the first major land battle of the 1861-1865 Civil War, or the First Battle of Manassas, resulted in a Confederate win. The war lasted longer than expected; more than 620,000 casualties occurred before Lee finally surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1865.