10/12/2026
Today, we recognize Columbus Day, a federal holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.
Columbus sailed across the Atlantic aboard the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, reaching an island in the Bahamas after a voyage of more than two months.
The holiday was first proclaimed nationally in 1892 and became a federal holiday in 1937.
As we reflect on this chapter of history, we also recognize that the story of the Americas began long before 1492, with Indigenous peoples and cultures that had flourished here for thousands of years.
History gives us an opportunity to learn about the people, events, and experiences that helped shape the world we know today.
