Anniversary Day was created by the New York State Legislature in in 1959 in commemoration of the organization of Sunday schools. This was originally connected to "Rally Day" Parades held by Sunday Schools in Brooklyn, dating back to at least 1838.
Today, Brooklyn-Queens Day is a day off for students in ALL New York City public schools; it's scheduled as a teacher's conference day. In 2009, the day off will fall on Thursday, June 4th.
In 1925, 100,000 people marched in the Brooklyn-Queens Day parade.
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NY State Consolidated Law, Article 52, Section 2586:
S 2586. Anniversary day as a holiday in the public schools of the
borough of Brooklyn and in the borough of Queens, city of New York. The
first Thursday in June in each year, except in those years when the
first Thursday in June occurs in the same week with Memorial day, and in
such years the second Thursday in June, known as anniversary day, and
celebrated in commemoration of the organization of Sunday schools, is
hereby made and declared to be a holiday in all the public schools in
the borough of Brooklyn and in the borough of Queens, city of New York,
and the board of education of such city is hereby authorized and
directed to cause all the public schools in such boroughs to be closed
on such day.
Brooklyn, New York. Anniversary Day parade of the Sunday school of the
Church of the Good Shepherd, June 1944
Photographer: Howard R. Hollem, Office of War Information
From the American Memory Collection, Library of Congress
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