The first United States federal Labor Day was observed on September 3, 1894.
Congress established Labor Day as a federal holiday in 1894, and the date was set for the first Monday in September. In that year, the first Monday fell on September 3. The new holiday followed decades of labor organizing and public celebrations in American cities.
The federal recognition came during a period of major industrial conflict, including the Pullman Strike. President Grover Cleveland signed the legislation on June 28, 1894, shortly after federal troops had been used to end that strike.
A common mix-up is to identify the first national celebration with the earliest local observance. New York City held an important Labor Day parade in 1882, but the federal holiday did not exist until 1894.