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Columbus Day
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Columbus Day is the annual U.S. commemoration of Christopher Columbus's landing in the New World (at San Salvador island... known as Waitling Island, today part of the British Bahamas) on October 12, 1492. Columbus was not the first European successfully to cross the Atlantic. Viking sailors are believed to have established a short-lived settlement in Newfoundland sometime in the 11th Century, and scholars have argued for a number of other possible pre-Columbian landings. Columbus, however, initiated the lasting encounter between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
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Columbus Day is a observance honoring Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the Americas in 1492. The holiday is observed in the United States by banks, the post office and most governments and schools, while most businesses remain open. Display U.S. Flag
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Columbus Day commemorates the Italian navigator's first landing in the New World on October 12, 1492. Recorded celebrations in the United States date back to 1792, when the Society of St. Tammany organized a ceremony in New York City marking the 300th anniversary of the landing. In 1937, Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed every Oct. 12 as C-Day, and in 1971, Richard Nixon declared the second Monday of the month a public holiday.
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Columbus Day occurs on the second Monday in October. To find great lessons, printables, and activities for all grades on this important explorer, browse the teaching resources below. You'll find cross-curricular Columbus Day resources for math, art, language arts, and more! Teach your students about the history of this holiday and debunk myths about Christopher Columbus. Students will have fun learning about geography and the history of the New World as they track this explorer's travels.
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Columbus Day is celebrated in many countries in the Americas to honor Christopher Columbus, a sailor and explorer who is said to have discovered America. Columbus was born in Italy in 1451 and began working as a seaman when he was just a young boy. In the early 1400’s, European traders could easily travel by land and sea to China and India to trade for silk, spices and other goods. But in 1453, the city of Constantinople was conquered by the Muslims and Egypt fell to a group of people known as the Ottomans. As a result, passage to India and China was much more difficult for European traders. Sailors needed to travel all the way around Africa to get to India and Asia since they could no longer go by way of the Red Sea and Egypt.
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Columbus Day is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in October in honor of Christopher Columbus's 1492 discovery of America. For many this is a controversial holiday in that some people believe that Columbus was not a hero. In his conquest of the New World, Columbus often claimed land that already belonged to other people and mistreated the inhabitants of these areas. In many areas Columbus Day now focuses on the discovery of the New World rather than the actions of one man. The first celebration of Columbus Day took place on October 12, 1792 and in 1937 October 12, became a Federal Holiday. President Johnson moved the holiday to the 2nd Monday in October in 1968 to create a three-day weekend. Many celebrate this holiday with parades and parties sponsored by Italian-American groups.
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Columbus Day