Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States to honor Christopher Columbus's Birthday, the explorer who landed in America in 1492.
Before, most people believed the world was flat, but Columbus believed the world was round. He believed you could sail around it safely. This was a very remarkable idea, because people of that age, thought the world was flat, and you would fall off the edge if you traveled too far. Now that this is a national holiday, you can let your children celebrate it the night before with a fun slumber party and perhaps a nice brunch the next morning.
Seeking a short cut to the West Indies, Columbus believed if he sailed 3000 miles west, he would reach Asia. He approached John II, King of Portugal requesting support for his expedition. When the King refused him, he approached King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, of Spain, for their sponsorship. They didn’t grant his request immediately but, later gave him sponsorship for his expedition. He set sail on August 3, 1492 with three ships the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Problems with the Nina and the Pinta caused a month-long delay in the Canary Islands. He set sail again on September 3, 1492, and thirty-three days later on October 12, 1492 discovered land.
American school children are taught that Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1942. Of course, Columbus really didn’t "discover" North America, and the parts he explored were already inhabited, but his first voyage did prove that the earth was not only round, but it was bigger than he thought.
To mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus' voyage, in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison made a commemorative proclamation. But it was the state of Colorado, in 1905 that became the first state to observe a Columbus Day. Since 1920 the day has been celebrated annually, and in 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every October 12 as Columbus Day. That's where it remained until 1971 when Congress declared it a federal public holiday on the second Monday in October. |
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