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Columbus Day: Fact Sheet
Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch
Reference Librarian
October 6, 2015
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
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Columbus Day: Fact Sheet
Introduction
Columbus Day is a federal holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus’s historic voyage
landing in the Americas on October 12, 1492. It has also become a time to honor Italian American
heritage.
This guide is designed to assist congressional offices with work related to Columbus Day
celebrations. It contains biographical information on Christopher Columbus and background on
the holiday. It provides links to sample speeches marking the observance of Columbus Day from
the Congressional Record and to official proclamations issued by the White House. It also
contains links to selected historical resources on Columbus Day and the Italian American
experience.
History and Legislation
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer, born in Genoa. With funding from the Spanish
crown, he led a three-ship expedition that set out from Palos, Spain, on August 3, 1492. Ten
weeks later, on October 12, 1492, the expedition sighted land. The next day, Columbus and his
crew set foot on an island in the Bahamas.
Three hundred years later, the United States recorded its first unofficial Columbus Day
celebration on October 12, 1792, in New York City. The Tammany Society, also known as the
Columbian Order, organized the celebration, which included the unveiling of a 14-foot obelisk
dedicated to Columbus and his achievements.”
On October 12, 1892, the United States celebrated its first official Columbus Day holiday, 100
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 400th anniversary of the discovery of America.” The following year, the
Chicago’s World’s Fair, also known as the World’s Columbian Exposition, opened in the summer
of 1893 to celebrate Columbus’s discovery of the New World 400 years earlier.
On April 30, 1934, 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.” H.J. Res. 10, 73d Cong., 48 Stat. 657.
In 1968, Congress established Monday observances for several federal holidays and prescribed
“Columbus Day, the second Monday in October” as a legal public holiday. P.L. 90-363, 82 Stat.
250.
CRS Report
CRS Report R41990, Federal Holidays: Evolution and Current Practices, by Jacob R. Straus
Sample Congressional Speeches and Recognitions
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:
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Columbus Day: Fact Sheet
Delegate Gregorio Sablan, “Supporting,” Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 155 (October
13, 2009), p. H11191
Senator Bill Frist, “Statement in Honor of Columbus Day,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional
Record, daily edition, vol. 150 (October 11, 2004), p. S11333
Representative David Bonior, “Statement in Honor of Columbus Day and Italian American
Heritage Month,” remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 147 (October
11, 2001), p. E1854
Presidential Proclamations
Some recent proclamations commemorating Columbus Day from the Compilation of Presidential
Documents include the following:
Columbus Day, 2014 Presidential Proclamation—President Barack Obama, October 10, 2014
Columbus Day, 2013 Presidential Proclamation—President Barack Obama, October 11, 2013
Columbus Day, 2012 Presidential Proclamation—President Barack Obama, October 5, 2012
Columbus Day, 2011 Presidential Proclamation—President Barack Obama, October 7, 2011
Columbus Day, 2010 Presidential Proclamation—President Barack Obama, October 8, 2010
Earlier presidential proclamations are available through the Federal Digital System (FDsys) on
the Government Publishing Office website.
Historical Resources
The following historical resources explore Columbus Day and the Italian American experience.
Today in History: October 12, Library of Congress American Memory
Italian Immigration, Library of Congress: history of Italian American immigration and culture
beginning with the arrival of Christopher Columbus
The Italian Americans (PBS): series that explores the Italian American experience; several clips
are freely available on the site
Milestones of the American Experience, National Italian American Foundation
Author Contact Information
Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch
Reference Librarian
acranehirsch@crs.loc.gov, 7-8826
Congressional Research Service
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