Columbus Day commemorates the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus, who first landed in the New World on October 12, 1492. Throughout the nineteenth century, Italian-Americans organized celebrations in various cities to honor Columbus, and in 1905, Colorado became the first state to observe Columbus Day. In 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed October 12 to be officially celebrated as Columbus Day. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared it a federal public holiday, celebrated on the second Monday in October. 

Columbus believed if he sailed 3000 miles west he would reach Asia, he was seeking a short cut to the West Indies. He approached John II, King of Portugal for support of his expedition. When the King refused him, he approached King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain for their sponsorship. They did not grant his request immediately but, later reconsidered. He set sail on August 3, 1492 with three ships the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, problems with the Nina and the Pinta necessitated a one month delay in the Canary Islands. He set sail again on September 3, 1492 and thirty-three days later on October 12, 1492 discovered land.

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Columbus Biography:

Christopher Columbus was an Italian navigator from Genoa, Italy. He planned his voyages with his two brothers, Diego, who helped rule Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Bartholomew. 

Columbus had little formal schooling, but taught himself Portuguese, Spanish, and Latin. He never learned to read or write Italian. As a boy, he was dreamy and sensitive. He was described as a "tall man and well built, ruddy, of a great creative talent and with a long face." He was trained in his father's trade of wool weaving, yet he was interested in the sea and spent time as a youth around Genoa's busy port. 

Columbus was determined to make a transatlantic voyage. He was convinced he could sail west and reach the Indies (which in Columbus' time included China, Japan, and India) in a few weeks. He sought support unsuccessfully from England and Portugal, but was finally successful in being sponsored by Spain. 

For his famous voyage, he received three ships fully equipped at the king and queen's expense, a large share in the trade, the governorship of any lands he might discover, the title of admiral, and noble rank. Columbus asked a great deal for himself in order to save his heirs from being as poor as he was. Thus, all of his rewards were to be inherited by his children. 

The dimensions of Columbus' ships are not known. However, historians have been able to make estimates based on their studies of the times. 

The Santa Maria, the flagship, was the largest and was believed to weigh between 100 and 120 tons and to be 80-85 feet long. It was thought to carry about 40 of the three ships' total crew of 90 men. The Nina and the Pinta were believed to be 65-70 feet long. The ships were lightly armed and carried the usual cargo for trading: cloth, knives, glass beads, and trinkets. 

Columbus made a total of four voyages to the New World. In the course of these trips, he discovered the northern coast of South America and further explored the western Caribbean. During these voyages, he learned the best way to make use of North Atlantic wind systems for transatlantic sailing. 

It is known that other explorers, such as the Vikings, sailed to the Americas long before Columbus. But only after Columbus' voyages did significant numbers of Europeans settle in the New World, primarily in the West Indies. 

Tradition
The traditional Columbus Day in the United States includes a parade down New York's Fifth Avenue. Parades and pageantry are often featured in smaller towns and cities. In recent years, the holiday has been rejected by many people who view it as a celebration of conquest and genocide. In its place, Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated.

Many Latin American countries celebrate this day as Día de la Raza (Day of the Race). This day celebrates the Spanish heritage of the Latin American peoples and includes brightly colored fiestas. 

Facts
For decades and decades, American history books and school teacher told that Columbus discovered America. What those books and teachings did not give credit to was the fact that Native Americans were already here first and truly discovered America. It also gave little mention to the fact that Nordic explorers had traveled down the eastern cost of Canada thousands of years earlier. 

Today,  Columbus day id celebrated for what it accurately is. Columbus did discover the existence of the New World for Europeans who until then, believed the world was flat and ended somewhere in the Atlantic. And, the focus is more upon discovery of the "New World", and less upon Columbus himself.