Columbus Day

Columbus day is celebrated to honor Christopher Columbus. It is celebrated on October the 10th of 2016. Traditionally it is celebrated every 2nd Monday of October. Columbus Day is celebrated to honor Christopher Columbus’ achievements and others celebrate it to honor the Italian-American heritage. Christopher was the first European to explore America. He landed on the Bahamian Islands when he really was on his route to China,India, and the parts Asia. The voyage took place on October 12, 1492. This occurred because he didn't know that the Pacific ocean existed. When Columbus and his crew got the re they were the first Europeans to establish a Spanish colony.  When Columbus returned to Europe he brought back gold, spices,and Indians; which were Native-Americans. Columbus realized that he wasn’t traveling to Asia on his third trip to America. By that time he had realized he had found a new colony unknown to the Europeans back home.

Columbus day was first celebrated in 1792 in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of having landed on the “new” continent. President Franklin D. Roosevelt then established Columbus day as a federal holiday. This act made it official in 1937. It used to be celebrated every October 12 but that changed to the second Monday of October in the year 1971.