The ideals that guided them to this land -- courage, determination, and a thirst for discovery -- have inspired countless Americans and led to some of our Nation's proudest accomplishments. Today, we renew our commitment to fostering the same spirit of innovation and exploration that will help future generations reach new horizons. Ten weeks before his arrival in the Americas, Columbus and his crewmembers set sail from Spain in search of a westward route to Asia. Though their journey was daring, it did not yield the trade route they sought.
Instead, it illuminated a continent then unknown to Europe, and established an unbreakable bond between two distant lands.
These explorers, and countless others that followed them, encountered indigenous peoples that had lived in the Western hemisphere for tens of thousands of years. On this day, we also remember the tragic hardships these communities endured.
The Tammany Society, also known as the Columbian Order, organized the celebration, which included the unveiling of a foot obelisk dedicated to Columbus and his achievements. On October 12, , the United States celebrated its first official Columbus Day holiday, years later. That year, President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation describing Columbus as "the pioneer of progress and enlightenment, recommending to the people the observance in all their localities of the th anniversary of the discovery of America.
On April 30, , Congress requested the President to proclaim "October 12 of each year as Columbus Day, inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies expressive of the public sentiment befitting the anniversary of the discovery of America.
In , Congress established Monday observances for several federal holidays and prescribed "Columbus Day, the second Monday in October" as a legal public holiday. Unlike some federal holidays in which it is common for Members of Congress to make floor statements or enter Extensions of Remarks into the Congressional Record , Columbus Day has not received much floor attention in recent years.
Here are examples of a few older floor statements:. International Day of the Girl Child : This day, first declared by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, and marked on October 11 ever since , is meant to raise awareness of the challenges girls face around the world, including equal access to education, healthcare, and other basic human rights.
Impact Impact Ithaca says it will decarbonize every building in the city. So does eating junk food. Design Co. Design These striking maps depict the invisible—and devastating—impacts of climate change Co.
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