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Columbus Day eCards celebrate America's Heritage
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Columbus Day
Don't forget to send Columbus Day eCards by . The History of Columbus DayChristopher Columbus was born in Italy in 1451. He made several journeys to Iceland and Guinea and was convinced that if he sailed west far enough, he would reach the Indies and China. Because Italy would not finance the expedition, he went to Spain. Spain was intrigued by the possibility of gold and colonization of the islands and they decided to give him 3 ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria for his voyage. In October of 1492, after two months of sailing, Columbus saw the Bahamas for the first time, and accidentally "discovered" the New World.Columbus Day, which is celebrated on the second Monday of October, honors the people who helped build America and celebrates America's Italian and multi-cultural heritage. On October 12, 1866, new York's Italian population organized the first celebration in honor of the discovery of America. Today New York's Columbus Day Parade, a tradition in New York since 1929, is organized by the Columbus Citizens Foundation. The Columbus Citizens Foundation is a non-profit organization that fosters an appreciation of Italian-American heritage and achievement. In 1905, Colorado became the first state to observe Columbus Day. In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared Columbus Day a federal public holiday. 
The Vikings may actually be the first people who "discovered" America, making their trip nearly 500 years before Columbus.
Columbus' second trip was a colonization effort. He brought 17 ships and over 1,000 people to live in the New World. He also introduced European livestock, such as horses and sheep to the New World for the first time. Columbus was certain that he had reached the East Indies when he landed at the islands of the Bahamas, naming its residents "Indians." |
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