Political Quotes

“Today is Columbus Day. When we look back on the history of Columbus Day and the history in this body, it was October 12 of 1492, the sailor onboard the Pinta landed, and the next day Christopher Columbus and his three ships landed at the Bahamian Island, ending a nearly 10-week journey across the Atlantic. Today, as we have been working here all day, people have been celebrating Columbus Day all over the United States. It is the day to honor Christopher Columbus's sense of bravery, his curiosity, his dream in making that dream come true, all of which are concepts that are still very much alive and well today in the spirit of Americans. The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day took place on October 12, 1792. That was to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Columbus's landing. A century later, the first official celebration occurred when President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation urging Americans to mark the day. And over the next decades, the Knights of Columbus, a Roman Catholic fraternal order, lobbied State legislatures to declare October 12 an official holiday. Colorado was the first to so in 1907, followed by New York in 1909. The Federal Government declared Columbus Day an official holiday in 1971. As we have been working today and as we bring things to a close, we see all of the country marching in parades in our cities and towns, coming together to enjoy families and friends.”