Columbus Day

Columbus Day is celebrated as the day Christopher Columbus discovered America. Columbus believed the world was round and asked the rulers of Portugal, Italy, and England to help him fund an expedition. They refused. In 1486, he asked Queen Isabella of Spain to fund the expedition and she refused to so for years. On August 3, 1492, he was given three ships to find a new route to India and Asia which would mean treasure and new land for Spain.

His flagship was the Santa Maria and the other two ships were the Maria and the Pinta. After two months, his crews were discouraged. Many of them had become sick. On the night of October 11th, Columbus sighted land and they docked the next morning.

Christopher Columbus thought that he had landed in India. He had landed on an island which he named San Salvador and claimed for Spain. When he landed in Cuba, he thought he was in Japan. Columbus made three subsequent voyages and did not realize that he had discovered an entirely new land.

The first tribute to Christopher Columbus originated within the Italian community in New York City on October 12, 1866. Celebrations followed in subsequent years in more and more cities with an Italian population. In 1869, the day got its official name when the Italians in San Francisco called their celebration Columbus Day.

Colorado was the first state to observe Columbus Day in 1905. Other states followed suit and in 1937 President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 as Columbus Day.

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