Columbus Day, 2012

Proclamation 8882 of October 5, 2012

Columbus Day, 2012

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

As dawn broke over the Atlantic on October 12, 1492, a
perilous 10-week journey across an ocean gave way to
encounters and events that would dramatically shape the
course of history. Today, we recall the courage and the
innovative spirit that carried Christopher Columbus and
his crew from a Spanish port to North America, and we
celebrate our heritage as a people born of many
histories and traditions.

When the explorers laid anchor in the Bahamas, they met
indigenous peoples who had inhabited the Western
hemisphere for millennia. As we reflect on the tragic
burdens tribal communities bore in the years that
followed, let us commemorate the many contributions
they have made to the American experience, and let us
continue to strengthen the ties that bind us today.

In the centuries since that fateful October day in
1492, countless pioneering Americans have summoned the
same spirit of discovery that drove Christopher
Columbus when he cast off from Palos, Spain, to pursue
the unknown. Engineers and entrepreneurs, sailors and
scientists, explorers of the physical world and
chroniclers of the human spirit--all have worked to
broaden our understanding of the time and space we live
in and who we are as a people. On this 520th
anniversary of Columbus's expedition to the West, let
us press forward with renewed determination toward
tomorrow's new frontiers.

As a native of Genoa, Italy, Christopher Columbus also
inspired generations of Italian immigrants to follow in
his footsteps. Today, we take time to celebrate the
innumerable contributions that generations of Italian
Americans have made to our country. Throughout 2013,
Italy will also commemorate this rich heritage and the
enduring bonds between our countries with the Year of
Italian Culture in the United States, which Americans
will join in celebrating.

In commemoration of Christopher Columbus's historic
voyage 520 years ago, the Congress, by joint resolution
of April 30, 1934, and modified in 1968 (36 U.S.C.
107), as amended, has requested the President proclaim
the second Monday of October of each year as ``Columbus
Day.''

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 8,
2012, as Columbus Day. I call upon the people of the
United States to observe this day with appropriate
ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag
of the United States be displayed on all public
buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse
history and all who have contributed to shaping this
Nation.

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