Leif Erikson Day, 2013

Proclamation 9037 of October 8, 2013

Leif Erikson Day, 2013

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

More than a millennium ago, Leif Erikson, a son of
Iceland and grandson of Norway, cast off from Norway's
familiar shores and set sail for Greenland. Erikson and
his crew were not aiming to make history. But their
ship drifted off course in the North Atlantic, and they
landed in present-day Canada, making them the first
Europeans known to visit North America. Their
settlement, Vinland, sustained them in the following
months. And when the seafarers returned to Greenland,
they brought stories of discovery with them and forged
the first link in a chain that has connected our
continents ever since.

Today, we commemorate Leif Erikson's journey. We also
honor a group of Norwegian immigrants who summoned that
same striving spirit centuries later. Together, in
1825, they braved uncertain waters with hope in their
hearts, confident that greater opportunity and brighter
horizons awaited them on American shores. The travelers
were among the first to complete the voyage from Norway
to New York City. And just as Leif Erikson had, they
lit the way for generations to follow.

These stories reaffirm that America has always been a
place of unbounded promise. We are home to explorers
and entrepreneurs, immigrants and innovators. We
endeavor to be a country where anyone who is willing to
work hard and take risks can turn even the most
improbable idea into something great. On Leif Erikson
Day, we celebrate that legacy and the countless
Norwegian Americans who have lived it, and we carry it
forward in the years ahead.

To honor Leif Erikson and celebrate our Nordic-American
heritage, the Congress, by joint resolution (Public Law
88-566) approved on September 2, 1964, has authorized
the President of the United States to proclaim October
9 of each year as ``Leif Erikson Day.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 9,
2013, as Leif Erikson Day. I call upon all Americans to
observe this day with appropriate ceremonies,
activities, and programs to honor our rich Nordic-
American heritage.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
eighth day of October, in the year of our Lord two
thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
eighth.