The Anniversary of the Birth of Hamilton Lavity Stoutt is a public holiday in the British Virgin Islands, observed on the first Monday in March.
Hamilton Lavity Stoutt was born on March 7th 1929. In 1943, he became one of the pioneer pupils at the new British Virgin Islands' secondary school, at a period when a maximum of only 25 children annually could move on from primary to secondary education. He left school early, studied house and boat building and then for 15 years made his way in and around the wholesale and retail business.
Stoutt was the longest continuously serving parliamentarian in the Caribbean. He won five general elections as Chief Minister and served three non-consecutive terms of office from 1967 to 1971, again from 1979 to 1983 and again from 1986 until his death on May 14th 1995.
