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- A Historic Day. Columbus Day celebrates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on October 12, 1492 – an event that changed the course of history.
- A Federal Holiday. The anniversary is one of the 11 federal holidays in the United States, observed on the second Monday of October. It falls between Oct 8 and 14, depending on the calendar year.
- Who is Columbus? Christopher Columbus was a navigator from Genoa, Italy. He was the son of a wool weaver and cheese vendor. Lacking formal education, he educated himself by reading books on astronomy, geography, and history.
- Why Columbus Sailed. Columbus wanted to find a western sea route to the Far East – a source of lucrative spices. However, he ended up in the New World instead.
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- Christopher Columbus
- Columbus Day in The United States
- Columbus Day Alternatives
- Indigenous Peoples' Day
- When Is Columbus Day?
Christopher Columbus was an Italian-born explorer who set sail in August 1492, bound for Asia with backing from the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand and Queen Isabellaaboard the ships the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. Columbus intended to chart a western sea route to China, India and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. Instead, on Octo...
The first Columbus Day celebration took place in 1792, when New York’s Columbian Order—better known as Tammany Hall—held an event to commemorate the historic landing’s 300th anniversary. Taking pride in Columbus’ birthplace and faith, Italian and Catholic communities in various parts of the country began organizing annual religious ceremonies and p...
Controversy over Columbus Daydates back to the 19th century, when anti-immigrant groups in the United States rejected the holiday because of its association with Catholicism. In recent decades, Native Americans and other groups have protested the celebration of an event that resulted in the colonization of the Americas, the beginnings of the transa...
The image of Christopher Columbus as an intrepid hero has also been called into question. Upon arriving in the Bahamas, the explorer and his men forced the native peoples they found there into slavery. Later, while serving as the governor of Hispaniola, he allegedly imposed barbaric forms of punishment, including torture. In many Latin American nat...
Columbus Day was originally observed every October 12, but was changed to the second Monday in October beginning in 1971. In some parts of the United States, Columbus Day has evolved into a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Local groups host parades and street fairs featuring colorful costumes, music and Italian food. In places that use the...
Columbus Day is a holiday in the United States that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492, in the New World. Columbus was a native of Genoa, Italy, and over the years Italian Americans took up the cause of honouring his achievement.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This U.S. federal holiday commemorates the date when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the Americas. In the USA it is observed on the Second Monday in October. To mark the day, here are 10 interesting facts about Columbus Day.
Oct 9, 2023 · Columbus Day churns up a stormy sea of controversy every year: Was Christopher Columbus a gifted navigator or reckless adventurer?
Columbus Day. On October 12, 1494, Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor landed in the Bahamas, part of the Americas. To celebrate this arrival, Columbus Day was established. This day is also celebrated as Dia de las Americas in Belize and Uruguay.
Jun 14, 2013 · Read CNN’s Fast Facts about Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which are celebrated on the second Monday in October.
