Here is the complete 1492 poem: IN 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He had three ships and left from Spain; He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain. He sailed by night; he sailed by day; He used the stars to find his way. A compass also helped him know How to find the way to go. Ninety sailors were on board; Some men worked while others snored. Then the workers went to sleep; And others watched the ocean deep. Day after day they looked for land; They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand. October 12 their dream came true, You never saw a happier crew! "Indians! Indians!" Columbus cried; His heart was filled with joyful pride. But "India" the land was not; It was the Bahamas, and it was hot. The Arakawa natives were very nice; They gave the sailors food and spice. Columbus sailed on to find some gold To bring back home, as he'd been told. He made the trip again and again, Trading gold to bring to Spain. The first American? No, not quite. But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.

Columbus Day Song (sung to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell") In 1492, Columbus sailed across the sea, In 1492. For 70 days he sailed, For 70 days he sailed, Columbus sailed across the sea, For 70 days he sailed. He came to a new land, He came to a new land, Columbus sailed across the sea, And came to a new land. Exploring he did go, Columbus sailed across the sea, Exploring he did go. He sailed back home to Spain, He sailed back home to Spain, Columbus sailed across the sea, Then sailed back home to Spain. Christopher Columbus Columbus sailed the ocean blue. October 12th they sighted land, And set their feet upon new sand. Teaching is a Work of Heart In 1492: 25 facts about Christopher Columbus and his disputed holiday | Deseret News In 1492: 25 facts about Christopher Columbus and his disputed holiday By Jackie Hicken , Deseret News Published: Oct. 13, 2013 8:02 p.m.

Comments Wikipedia For schoolchildren, Columbus Day likely means revisiting the old rhyme, "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue," and discussing the role the explorer played in the discovery of the New World. Beyond the grade-school classroom, however, Columbus Day is a holiday despised by some, celebrated by others and a hot topic of debate for many. Was Columbus a bad person? Was he responsible for the decimation of the natives in the lands he discovered, both through disease and warfare? Did he discover America? Is his place in history that of a man of myth or a man of legend? Here's a look at the famed navigator, the voyage to the New World, the history of today's holiday and other interesting facts that have helped drive the conversations and controversy surrounding Christopher Columbus. Wikipedia Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy, and spent the years leading up to 1492 at sea, participating in trading voyages and expeditions to Africa. Because Muslim domination of land trade routes made travel to India and China difficult, Columbus came up with a plan to sail west in order to reach the East, according to biography.com .

Columbus and his contemporaries did not believe the world was flat ; rather Columbus believed its circumference was much smaller than it actually is, which helped him develop his west-to-East plan. Wikipedia Columbus estimated that Asia lay between 2,300 and 2,400 miles west, although the true distance is actually 10,000 nautical miles, according to Yahoo , or 12,200 statue miles, according to biography.com . "(The king and queen) directed that I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that anyone has gone," Christopher Columbus wrote in 1492. Wikipedia Columbus originally approached King John II of Portugal to obtain funding for his proposed voyage, but the king rejected the request. According to biography.com , Columbus was also rejected in Genoa and Venice. Years after the original request was made, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to sponsor the voyage. Associated Press Reasons for undertaking the journey into the unknown varied for all interested parties, the Encyclopedia Britannica entry on Columbus states.

For Columbus, the voyage was about improving his status in life and gaining the ability to "style myself 'Don' and be high admiral of the Ocean Sea and viceroy and perpetual governor of the islands and continent which I should discover." For the king and queen, the voyage was built on the hopes of improving their status and gaining power. Religion also played a role for the king and queen, Columbus and Franciscan brethren looking to fuel religious fervor to finance a crusade to the Holy Land, the encyclopedia entry said. Associated Press The three ships Columbus used on his voyage were named the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. According to Columbus's own writings , "I left the city of Granada on Saturday, the 12th day of May, 1492, and proceeded to Palos, a seaport, where I armed three vessels, very fit for such an enterprise, and having provided myself with abundance of stores and seamen, I set sail from the port on Friday, the 3rd of August, half an hour before sunrise and steered for the Canary Islands." Wikipedia The Pinta ran into trouble on the way to the Canary Islands when the rudder became loose.

"It was believed that this happened by the contrivance of Gomez Rascon and Christopher Quintero, who were on board the caravel, because they disliked the voyage," an extract from the Columbus journal suggests. "The admiral says he found them in an unfavorable disposition before setting out." After staying for nearly a month at the Canary Islands, where the Pinta underwent repairs and changes to her rigging, the three ships left on September 6, 1492. Wikipedia As the leader of the venture, Columbus was not entirely honest with his crew, as extracts from his logbook show. "Sunday, 9 September. Sailed this day nineteen leagues, and determined to count less than the true number, that the crew might not be dismayed if the voyage should prove long," an extract, posted at fordham.edu , says.

This pattern of underreporting progress held true throughout the journey, with notes in the logbook stating things like: — "Steered west and sailed, day and night, above fifty leagues; wrote down only forty-seven" — "Continued this course west and sailed day and night in calms, fourteen leagues; reckoned eleven." — "Continued their course west and sailed twelve miles an hour, for two hours, then eight miles an hour. Sailed till an hour after sunrise, twenty-three leagues; reckoned to the crew eighteen." Associated Press On September 25, a Tuesday, Martin Alonzo called out that he saw land. Martin Alonzo Pinon was the captain of the Pinta and was hailed in Columbus's logbook as a man "of courage and capacity." The logbook extract on Fordham.edu continues: "The admiral says, when he heard him declare (that he saw land), he fell to his knees and returned thanks to God, and Martin Alonzo with his crew repeated Gloria in excelsis Deo, as did the crew of the admiral. Those on board the Nina ascended the rigging, and all declared they saw land.

The admiral also thought it was land, and about 25 leagues distant." Associated Press By October 10, the men sailing with Columbus had not landed anywhere, and had "lost all patience and complained about the length of the voyage," the logbook says. However, Columbus was able to calm the men with promises of profit and reminders that they had come too far to turn back. On October 12, Columbus, Martin Alonzo Pinzon of the Pinta and Yincent Yanez Pinzon, captain of the Nina, stepped onto the shores of the new world. "The admiral bore the royal standard, and the two captains each a banner of the Green Cross, which all the ships carried; this contained the initials of the names of the king and queen each side of the cross, and a crown over each letter," the journal extracts say. "They saw trees very green, many streams of water and diverse sorts of fruit.

The admiral called upon the two captains and the rest of the crew who landed, as also to Rodrigo de Escovedo notary of the fleet, and Rodrigo Sanchez, of Segovia, to bear witness that he before all others took possession (as in fact he did) of that island for the king and queen his sovereigns." Associated Press According to the Encyclopedia Britannica , the place of the first Caribbean landfall "is hotly disputed," but San Salvador Island, or Watlings Island, is "generally preferred." Columbus and his crew pressed on, landing in Cuba on Oct. 28 and then turning southward—away from Florida and the land of the future United States—and arriving in Hispaniola (Haiti) on December 6. He posted 39 men in a stockade they built, using parts of the Santa Maria as materials after the ship ran aground. Then, with the small stockade built, Columbus and his two remaining ships headed back for Spain in January 1493. Wikipedia A second voyage was planned after gold, parrots, spices and people from the new lands were presented in Barcelona, the Encyclopedia Britannica says.

On this second voyage, Columbus led at least 17 ships out on September 25, 1493. Associated Press The men on this second voyage found the Hispaniola stockade destroyed and those they had left behind dead, and proceeded to exact revenge by capturing slaves. They also rebuilt, with fortifications and a city springing up on the island. Other exploring parties headed to the Cuban coastline and Jamaica, but decided to focus their efforts on Hispaniola. "The following year (Columbus) began a determined conquest of Hispaniola, spreading devastation among the Taino," the encyclopedia entry states. "There is evidence, specially in the objections of a friar, Bernardo Buil, that Columbus's methods remained harsh." In 1496, Columbus headed back to Spain and began to press King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella for a third voyage as soon as he arrived. Wikipedia The third voyage to the New World left in May 1498 and consisted of six ships. On this third voyage, Columbus focused on finding a strait from Cuba to India, and stopped in Trinidad and Venezuela.

"By August 15, he knew by the great torrents of fresh water flowing into the Gulf of Paria that he had discovered another continent—'another world,'" the Encyclopedia Britannica entry states. Wikipedia When Columbus returned to Hispaniola, where his two brothers had been ruling, all three of the Columbus brothers were sent back to Spain in chains. Complaints against the harsh methods they had employed during their leadership helped lead to their arrests. The charges against Columbus were dropped, biography.com reports, but he lost his governorship of Hispaniola and much of the riches he had made during his time exploring the New World. Associated Press While Columbus was a prisoner returning from the Indies, he sent a letter to the nurse of Prince Don John of Castille, discussing new discoveries and his role in the exploration, and saying that, "I take my oath that I cannot understand why I am made prisoner." "They judge me over there as they would a governor who had gone to Sicily, or to a city or town placed under regular government and where the laws can be observed in their entirety without fear of ruining everything; and I am greatly injured thereby," Columbus wrote .

"I ought to be judged as a captain who went from Spain to the Indies to conquer a numerous and warlike people, whose customs and religion are very contrary to ours; who live in rocks and mountains, without fixed settlements, and not like ourselves; and where, by the divine will, I have placed under the dominion of the king and queen, our sovereigns, another world, through which Spain, which was reckoned a poor country, has become the richest." Wikipedia Columbus began his fourth and final journey to the New World on May 9, 1502, and because he was forbidden from returning to Hispaniola, he was tasked with exploring the "other world" he had found earlier and finding a path to India. After being turned away from Hispaniola (attempting to visit despite being told not to go there), Columbus explored Jamaica, Cuba, Honduras and Nicaragua. He also sailed southward along Costa Rica, the Encyclopedia Britannica reports, and sailed around the Chiriqui Lagoon in Panama. The return voyage to Hispaniola ended badly, with the crew and Columbus becoming stranded in Jamaica in 1503. They were not rescued until the next year, in June of 1504.

Columbus died in Spain in 1506. Associated Press In the Encyclopedia Britannica article written by Valerie I.J. Flint, G.F. Grant Professor of History at the University of Hull in England, Flint argues that while Columbus's entry into the New World ushered in an era of exploration, disease, death and suppression, the pendulum of blame that rests on his back may "have swung too far." "Columbus has been blamed for events far beyond his own reach or knowledge, and too little attention has been paid to the historical circumstances that conditioned him," Flint wrote . "His obsessions with lineage and imperialism, his zealous religious beliefs, his enslaving of indigenous peoples, and his execution of colonial subjects come from a world remote from that of modern democratic ideas, but it was the world to which he belonged. The forces of European expansion, with their slaving and search for gold, had been unleashed before him and were quite beyond his control; he simply decided to be their vanguard." Associated Press According to history.com , the first Columbus Day celebration was held in 1792, which was the 300th anniversary of the explorer's arrival in the New World.

Tammany Hall, or the Columbian Order — a New York political organization — held the event. In 1892, President Benjamin Harrison proclaimed that Friday, Oct. 21, would be set aside for the celebration of the 400th anniversary "of the discovery of America by Columbus." "On that day let the people, so far as possible, cease from toil and devote themselves to such exercises as may best express honor to the discoverer and their appreciation of the great achievements of the four completed centuries of American life," the proclamation said. Associated Press According to opensecrets.org , the Knights of Columbus group, which "selected its name partially because it was seen as a symbol of Italian and Catholic immigrants," lobbied Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt to make Columbus Day a federal holiday in 1937.

Although Roosevelt created the first federal observance, Richard Nixon established the holiday as we know it with a presidential proclamation , stating "Now, therefore, I, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America, do hereby designate Monday, October 9, 1972, as Columbus Day; and I invite the people of this nation to observe that day in schools, churches and other suitable places with appropriate ceremonies in honor of the great explorer." Associated Press Parades around the nation will mark Columbus Day in what is seen by many as a celebration of Italian heritage in the United States. Parades are held in places like New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Colorado and San Francisco. Wikipedia Some states and cities do not officially celebrate Columbus Day, choosing instead to establish holidays or days of observance that focus on other, more localized, things, or honor the natives who lived in the Americas when Columbus landed.

For example, Hawaii celebrates Discoverers' Day "in recognition of the Polynesian discoverers of the Hawaiian Islands," and South Dakota celebrates Native American Day, which is "dedicated to the remembrance of the great Native American leaders who contributed so much to the history of our state." The California city of Berkeley replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in 1992, after the Berkeley Resistance 500 Task Force reported that "Columbus's expedition was not a scientific 'voyage of discovery,' but a scouting mission for a scheme of imperialism and conquest," the ipdpowwow.org website states. Associated Press Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States, but many nations home to, visited and/or explored by Christopher Columbus also celebrate the holiday in their own ways. October 12 is known as the Dia de la Raza, or National Day of Spain, as well as the Dia de la Hispanidad — Hispanic Day — in Spain and Latin America. Argentina marks October 12 as the Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity and the Bahamas celebrate Discovery Day, "which commemorates the first landfall of the great navigator Christopher Columbus," Bahamas.com states.

Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day is also celebrated on Columbus Day, and was created "to recognize the unique relationship between Virgin Islanders and Puerto Ricans," a virginislandsdailynews.com article said. Associated Press Columbus tends to be credited with discovering America, but that assertion is not historically true, Christopher Wanjek wrote for CBS News Thursday. "Yes, let's ignore the fact that millions of humans already inhabited this land later to be called the Americas, having discovered it millennia before," Wanjek wrote. "And let's ignore that whole Leif Ericson voyage to Greenland and modern-day Canada around 1000 C.M.E. If Columbus discovered America, he himself didn't know. Until his death he claimed to have landed in Asia, even though most navigators knew he didn't." So why does the U.S. celebrate Columbus? Wanjek argues that because the U.S. was fighting with England in the early years of the nation's existence, colonists chose to discount John Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland around 1497 and go with Christopher Columbus as their heroic explorer instead.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica , Leif Ericson (or Eriksson) is "widely held to have been the first European to reach the shores of North America." Wikipedia Ever heard the phrase "the Columbian exchange?" Like him or hate him, Christopher Columbus bears responsibility for that phrase, which was developed to explain the period of exchange and trade between the New and Old Worlds after Columbus's 1492 landing. "In 1491, the world was in many of its aspects and characteristics a minimum of two worlds — the New World, of the Americas, and the Old World, consisting of Eurasia and Africa," historian Alfred W. Crosby said in an interview with smithsonianmag.com . "Columbus brought them together, and almost immediately and continually ever since, we have had an exchange of native plants, animals and diseases moving back and forth across the oceans between the two worlds.

A great deal of the economic, social and political history of the world is involved in the exchange of living organisms between the two worlds." In a post at gilderlehrman.org , Crosby writes that the exchange included things like wheat, barley, rice, turnips, maize, sweet potatoes, horses, cattle, sheep, and germs carrying diseases like smallpox, measles, influenza, malaria and yellow fever. Associated Press According to history.com and Smithsonian.com , Washington, D.C., or the District of Columbia, was named after both George Washington and Christopher Columbus. The city was founded in 1791 as the permanent capital of the United States of America, and is unique because it is not a state or part of any state. History.com explains that the city was named for Washington — who picked the location — while Columbus's name was chosen to be included as the District of Columbia portion of the designation. What Are Some Facts About Christopher Columbus? He went by Cristóbal Colón after he moved to Spain in 1485. His parents' names were Domenico Colombo, a wool weaver, and Susanna Fontanarossa.

He had three brothers - Bartolomeo, Giovanni Pellegrino and Giacomo - and a sister named Bianchinetta. His family was not wealthy; so, he did not receive the education of the wealthy. He supported himself by selling maps and charts early on in his life. He was only 14 years old when he began working on ships. Education Since Christopher Columbus was born in the port city of Genoa, it is not surprising that he became a navigator . Although he was largely self-taught through reading, he attended Prince Henry's School of Navigation in Portugal. Family Life In 1479 he married Felipa Perestrello e Monis, the daughter of a wealthy Portuguese family. They had one child together: a boy named Diego. His wife died of consumption only six years after they were married. In 1487 he took a mistress in Spain named Beatriz Enriquez de Arana. She was a 20-year old orphan. She and Columbus had a son, but never married. Travels In 1470, at the age of 19, he played a prominent role on a Genoese sailing ship that had the goal of conquering Naples.

In 1474, at the age of 23, he was hired as a sailor on a ship going to the island of Khíos in the Aegean Sea . He spent a year on the island and came back to Italy financially independent. After that, he received a lot of experience navigating the Atlantic Ocean sailing out of Lisbon, Portugal. Columbus Goes to the Americas His claim to fame is a series of voyages that made Europeans aware of the Americas, which led to colonization . Bartholomew, his brother the map maker, inspired him to make the famous voyage to the Americas by sailing west across the Atlantic instead of the more traditional land route to Asia. All four of the voyages of Christopher Columbus were across the Atlantic Ocean to Central and South America and the islands of the Caribbean. The voyages were funded by the Catholic King and Queen of Spain who wanted to colonize the New World and establish profitable trade routes to Asia. Voyage #1 - Columbus and the Passage to the West King John II of Portugal refused a request from Columbus to support his journey westward, feeling that the distance involved had been underestimated by Columbus.

After two years of negotiations, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile (both were kingdoms of Spain) agreed to provide half of the financing Columbus needed to search for a route to the East, even though they also felt that he had underestimated the distance. He had already gotten half of what he needed from private Italian investors. Columbus had miscalculated the distance for the new western passage. He thought that only 2,300 miles separated the Canary Islands from Japan, which would allow for sufficient provisions to be carried on the ship. The actual distance is closer to 12,000 miles. Part of the bargain he struck with the Spanish court was: If he discovered any islands or lands, he would be richly rewarded when he returned. He would be given the rank of Admiral of the Ocean Sea. He would be made Viceroy and Governor of all the new lands. He would receive 10% of any revenues the lands produced. If any industries were established, he would be allowed to purchase a 1/8 interest and receive 1/8 of the profit.

Getting a crew together was very difficult, since people thought that the Earth was flat and they were sure they would sail off of the end of the world. This first voyage of Columbus as the captain began on August 3, 1492 and ended in 1496. He left from Spain with three ships, the Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria. Columbus and about 40 men manned the Santa Maria, with between 20 and 30 men on each of the other two ships. One the day Columbus set sail he wrote in his diary I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone. They did not take soldiers, priests, or settlers because this was primarily a voyage of exploration. Columbus took enough provisions for a year including: Water Pearls Spices After seven days he had sailed to the Canary Islands and stopped for provisions and repairs. On September 6th he set out for the Indies.

At 2 o’clock on the morning of October 12, 1492 a lookout on the Pinta named Rodrigo de Triana shouted, “Tierra, Tierra” which translates as “Land, Land.” The trip had taken 36 days and the weary crew stepped foot on a new land. Soon, the natives that lived there greeted Columbus and his crew. It is not certain which island Columbus landed on in the Bahamas, but most think it was San Salvador or Samana Cay. The natives were eager to trade and the Spaniards, thinking they had found the Indies, called the natives Indians. He also explored some of Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. On Christmas Day 1492, the Santa Maria ran aground and was abandoned. Columbus went back to Spain on January 15, 1493, leaving 39 men in the settlement he founded which he called La Navidad. When he got back to Spain, he gave Ferdinand and Isabella some gold nuggets and jewelry and told them he thought he had found islands that were close to Japan or China.

Voyage #2 - Columbus and Dominica Columbus set out later that same year, 1493, with instructions from the King and Queen to establish friendly relations with the native people. He arrived at Dominica on November 3, 1493 and after exploring for a while, went on to the Greater Antilles, landing in Puerto Rico. On November 22, Columbus traveled to La Navidad to find that his men, who he had left their eleven months before, had been killed. He established a new settlement on the coast of Hispaniola called Isabella. Later he revisited Cuba and explored Jamaica. In 1495, Columbus enslaved 560 people against the wishes of the King and Queen. He shipped them to Spain. Around 200 died on the trip and half of the rest were ill. They arrived in Spain in 1496. This was the beginning of slavery for the Spanish in the New World. Voyage #3 - Columbus and Trinidad and South America Christopher Columbus believed his voyages were taking him to China but where they took him was not even close. His third voyage started in 1498 and ended in 1500.

He landed in Trinidad on July 31, 1498. He went on the explore South America and some of the islands. He returned to Hispaniola in 1500 to find the settlers there were not happy because they felt he lied to them about the abundance of riches. Columbus had been appointed Viceroy and Governor of the Indies but he was not able to handle the post, partly because of bad health. He asked for help in governing and Bobadilla was appointed. Because of complaints, Bobadilla arrested Columbus in 1500 and soon sent him back to Spain. He was jailed for six weeks before he was released. Voyage #4 - Columbus and Martinique and Central America Columbus landed in Martinique on June 15, 1502 but soon continued on because a hurricane was coming. He was denied port at Santo Domingo and went on to the mouth of the Jaina River. Soon he explored the islands off the coast of Honduras and later, went on to Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. He and his men became stranded in Jamaica and stayed there a year because the governor of Hispaniola would not help him.

Columbus and his men then returned to Spain on November 7, 1504. Christopher Columbus went to the Americas and back to Spain four times between 1492 and 1504. These trips marked the beginning of exploration and colonization of the American continents by the people of Europe. During all four voyages, Christopher Columbus continued to believe that the islands of the Caribbean were part of the Asian continent. He believed that it was only a matter of time before he found the passage to Asia. It is possible that because he refused to accept that these lands were not part of Asia, that they were named for Amerigo Vespucci and not him. Controversy: Value of Columbus' Discoveries There is a controversy about the value of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas. Some people contest that he destroyed what was already happening in America at the time, while others will say that he brought new life and prosperity to the land. The controversy hinges over these factors: Columbus created untrue impressions - Many researchers think that Christopher Columbus was to blame for establishing the idea that the Native Americans were barbaric.

Columbus was not the first European to reach the American continent - Norse Vikings had traveled throughout northern Africa, eastern Europe, and the Middle East in the 900s. In 986, Bjarni Herjolfsson was sailing from Norway to Iceland and then on to Greenland. On the way, a storm blew him off track and he saw a land with hills and forests. Word of the new land spread, so in the year 1000, Leif Eriksson set out with 35 men to sail to this new land. They made it to northeastern Canada and spent the winter there before returning home. They discovered North America, but their discovery did not lead to colonization like Columbus’ discovery did. Columbus went down in history and didn’t even do what he had intended to do. Columbus was not the first man to chart the American continent - The man for whom the continent was named - Amerigo Vespucci - charted the area and landed here right around the same time as Columbus. Columbus had harsh methods - When he arrived, he started to control all of the land.

He wanted to shape the Americas into a European society, and he did not want to necessarily integrate many of the Native American practices into his new society. In fact, he would kill - or have his men - kill the Natives if he felt that they were being too unruly. Columbus forced Christianity upon the peoples. They claim that the people did not need Christianity, and they were fine with their tribal religions that they had practiced for many, many years. Those who see Columbus as a hero believe that: Columbus found land previously unknown to the Europeans - When Columbus came to the Americas, he found land that had been previously unknown to many of the Europeans. Whether or not he "discovered" America, does not necessarily affect what else he did for this country. Columbus introduced European ideas to the Americas - Had Columbus not landed in the Americas, a number of European innovations, ideas, and theories would not have arrived here at the time that they did. Of course, one could argue that they would have arrived at some other time. However, if that were so, we might not be as advanced as we are today, if these ideas and achievements did not appear for another few hundred years or so.

Columbus brought Christianity with him - No matter how much the comparatively small group of non religious people want to fight it, the United States was built upon the ideals of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Therefore, Columbus brought over tenets that would strongly influence the history of the country. Columbus introduced technology - Before Columbus arrived, there had been little change in America for thousands of years. People were primarily hunters and gatherers, traveling across the scope of the land and often engaging in bloody wars with one another. Columbus brought the technologies, achievements, and innovations of people such as Aristotle , Newton , and Galileo . Facts, Opinions and Recognition for Columbus A famous rhyme says "In fourteen hundred and ninety two/the history books all say/Columbus sailed the ocean blue/and discovered Americay-ya-yay/and discovered Americay!" Columbus was not the first person to say that the Earth was not flat. The credit of that theory belongs to Aristotle. Columbus was addicted to opium. No authentic portrait of Christopher Columbus exists. Columbus Day is observed on October 12 in Spain and other some places in the Americas. In the United States, it is observed on the second Monday in October.

Many streets and cities have been named after Columbus, and many monuments have been built in his honor. In 1893, 400 years after his first voyage, Columbus’ likeness was placed on a U.S. postage stamp. Quotes By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination. Riches don't make a man rich, they only make him busier. I should be judged as a captain who went from Spain to the Indies to conquer a people numerous and warlike, whose manners and religion are very different from ours, who live in sierras and mountains, without fixed settlements, and where by divine will I have placed under the sovereignty of the King and Queen our Lords, an Other World, whereby Spain, which was reckoned poor, is become the richest of countries. Final Years As Columbus aged, he became extremely religious. Columbus died in Spain at the age of 55 of Reiter's Syndrome . For a time perspective of the details of Christopher Columbus' life, check out the Christopher Columbus Timeline on YourDictionary. In 1492... | Columbus Day Song For Children - YouTube In 1492...

| Columbus Day Song For Children Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Oct 8, 2013 JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK!: MORE "COLUMBUS DAY": THE MR. MIKE SHOP: In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue He had 3 ships, he let from Spain He sailed through sunlight wind and rain He sailed by night he sailed by day He used the stars to guide his way 90 sailors were aboard Some men worked while others snored Then the workers went to sleep, And other sailed the ocean deep Day by day they looked for land They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand October 12th their dreams came true You never saw a happier crew Then in 1492, when columbus sailed the ocean blue In 1492, when Columbus sailed the ocean blue Thanks for watching! Columbus sailed the ocean blue...

by Ramon Montaigne | The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor Columbus sailed the ocean blue Back in 1492. He sailed across and spotted land, A beach, and people on the sand. He called them Indians because He had no idea where he was, India was just a guess. When in doubt, declare success. "Columbus sailed the ocean blue..." by Ramon Montaigne. Reprinted with permission of the author. It's the day that the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus reached the New World. On this day in 1492, one of the sailors on the Pinta sighted land, an island in the Bahamas, after 10 weeks of sailing from Palos, Spain, with the Santa María, the Pinta, and the Niña. Columbus thought he had reached East Asia. When he sighted Cuba, he thought it was China, and when the expedition landed on Hispaniola, he thought it might be Japan. Legend has it that only Columbus believed the earth was round, but that's not true; most educated Europeans at the time knew the earth wasn't flat.

However, the Ottoman Empire had cut off land and sea routes to the islands of Asia. Columbus became obsessed with finding a western sea route, but he miscalculated the world's size, and he didn't know the Pacific Ocean existed. He called his plan the "Enterprise of the Indies." He pitched it first to King John II of Portugal, who rejected it, and then to the Spanish King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. They also turned him down, twice, before they conquered the Moorish kingdom of Granada in January 1492 and had some treasure to spare. Columbus led a total of four expeditions to the New World during his lifetime. And over the next century, his discovery made Spain the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. It's the birthday of the British novelist, essayist, poet, philosopher, and orator John Cowper Powys ( books by this author ), born in Derbyshire England (1872). In 1930, he retired to upstate New York and turned to full-time writing: It was here that he produced such masterpieces as Weymouth Sands and his autobiography, A Glastonbury Romance.

He returned to Great Britain in 1934, settling in North Wales in 1935, where he wrote the historical novels Owen Glendower and Porius, the critical studies of Rabelais and Dostoevsky, and The Brazen Head and other inventive fantasies. Powys was at heart a luddite, for whom virtually every modern invention was anathema. He never drove a car and never used a typewriter. He thought television was pernicious. He didn't like talking on the telephone, because he didn't want his words violated by a tangle of wires. Powys said: "A great modern novel consists of and ought to include just everything." Today is the birthday of poet Philip Booth ( books by this author ), born in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1925. He went to college at Dartmouth, where he met and became a protégé of Robert Frost. His poetry is rooted in the Maine coast, where he grew up and where his ancestors lived for hundreds of years before him.

"Almost all my mother's ancestors — my grandparents, great-grand-parents, great-great, and so on — are buried in the cemetery here," he said in an interview with The American Poetry Review. "In the November of the year, I often go and look at their graves and see their names and the years carved on them. It gives me a very pleasant and not at all morbid sense of the relations, the relationships, that one has with a place." It's the birthday of the comic book writer and essayist Harvey Pekar ( books by this author ), born in Cleveland, Ohio (1939). He is the creator of American Splendor, one of the first-ever autobiographical comic book series, which was eventually made into a movie starring Paul Giamatti. His parents were Jewish immigrants. His father was a Talmudic scholar who supported the family by working as a grocer. Pekar was a smart kid, but he dropped out of community college and got a job as a file clerk at a Veterans Administration hospital. He spent his free time reading literature and collecting jazz records. He owned about 15,000 records at the height of his collecting obsession.

It was through record collecting that Pekar became friends with the legendary comic book artist Robert Crumb. One day, while discussing the future of comics as an art form, Pekar complained to Crumb that comic books were all about superheroes or monsters. Even the new alternative comics, geared toward adults, tended to be about sex maniacs and drug addicts. Nobody wrote comic books about real people and their ordinary struggles. After that conversation, Pekar decided to write a comic book about his own life. Pekar spent the next few weeks writing about his daily difficulties at the supermarket, his interactions with his co-workers, his ordeals with lost keys, and his dating life. Since he couldn't draw anything other than stick figures, he let Robert Crumb illustrate. The first issue of American Splendor came out in 1976, and Pekar continued publishing a new issue every summer, each one illustrated by a variety of different artists. He printed 10,000 copies of each new issue himself and distributed it to independent bookstores and comic book shops across the country. After 15 years, he was picked up by a publishing house.

Pekar wrote about nearly every important aspect of his life: his job, his friends, meeting his wife, marrying her, their struggles as a couple, buying their first house, and going through his cancer treatment. His work inspired a whole generation of artists to write autobiographical and realist comic books. An anthology of his work was published last year as American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar. When asked why he wanted to turn his life into a comic book, Harvey Pekar said, "I wanted to write literature that pushed people into their lives rather than helping people escape from them." Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.® « » “Writers end up writing stories—or rather, stories' shadows—and they're grateful if they can, but it is not enough. Nothing the writer can do is ever enough” —Joy Williams “I want to live other lives. I've never quite believed that one chance is all I get. Writing is my way of making other chances.” —Anne Tyler “Writing is a performance, like singing an aria or dancing a jig” —Stephen Greenblatt “All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.” —F.

Scott Fitzgerald “Good writing is always about things that are important to you, things that are scary to you, things that eat you up.” —John Edgar Wideman “In certain ways writing is a form of prayer.” —Denise Levertov “Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.” —E.L. Doctorow “Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” —E.L. Doctorow “Let's face it, writing is hell.” —William Styron “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” —Thomas Mann “Writing is 90 percent procrastination: reading magazines, eating cereal out of the box, watching infomercials.” —Paul Rudnick “Writing is a failure. Writing is not only useless, it's spoiled paper.” —Padget Powell “Writing is very hard work and knowing what you're doing the whole time.” —Shelby Foote “I think all writing is a disease. You can't stop it.” —William Carlos Williams “Writing is like getting married.

One should never commit oneself until one is amazed at one's luck.” —Iris Murdoch “The less conscious one is of being ‘a writer,’ the better the writing.” —Pico Iyer “Writing is…that oddest of anomalies: an intimate letter to a stranger.” —Pico Iyer “Writing is my dharma.” —Raja Rao “Writing is a combination of intangible creative fantasy and appallingly hard work.” —Anthony Powell “I think writing is, by definition, an optimistic act.” —Michael Cunningham sponsor Explorers - StudyBlue Good to have you back! If you've signed in to StudyBlue with Facebook in the past, please do that again. Explorers Who sponsored Christopher Columbus' expedition? Spain What year did Christopher Columbus begin his exploration? 1492, he sailed the ocean blue Advertisement ) Christopher Columbus sailed in what direction? West What was Christopher Columbus looking for? a shorter route to Asia Name some obstacles faced by Christopher Columbus. He had no maps and his crew was frightened. How long did it take Christopher Columbus to get permission from King Ferdinand and Queen Elizabeth to grant permission for Christopher Columbus' exploration? 10 years Name some of Christopher Columbus' accomplishments.

He discovered Central/South America, San Salvador, West Indies, Hispanola, Cuba and Bahamas Who did Christopher Columbus take as slaves? Native Americans John Cabot began his exploration in _____. 1497 Both ____ and ____ searched for a shorter route to Asia. Cabot and Columbus John Cabot sailed further _____ to create a shorter route. north What two countries sponsored John Cabot? England and Italy Who did both Spain and Portugal refused to sponsor? John Cabot. State some of John Cabot's obstacles. No maps, icy weather conditions What did John Cabot say he found but did not? silk, spices Where did John Cabot land? Newfoundland, Canada, which he named Cathay What was Canada/Cathay rich in? fish Cabot sailed with his ____ and got along with ________ son; Native Americans When did Vasco Nunez de Balboa begin his exploration? 1513 What did Vasco Nunez de Balboa search for? land and riches for Spain and an over land route to the Pacific Ocean Who sponsored Vasco Nunez de Balboa? Spain What obstacles did Vasco Nunez de Balboa face?

debt, fights with Native Americans How did Vasco Nunez de Balboa die? he was beheaded Vasco Nunez de Balboa crossed the _______ of Panama on foot. Isthmus Who was the first explorer to see the Pacific Ocean? Vasco Nunez de Balboa What country did Vasco Nunez de Balboa claim the Pacific Ocean for? Spain Which explorer took a Native American chief's daughter as his wife? Vasco Nunez de Balboa John Cabot was the 1st European since the Vikings to see the area we call Newfoundland. (T or F) True What were Cabot's plans when he began his exploration? to sail west and reach the riches of Asia Where did Cabot think he had landed? He believed he had reached Asia's coast The king and queen of Portugal paid for Christopher Columbus' first trip. (T or F) False. Spain paid for it. Where did Christopher Columbus think he had landed? the Indies (?) Where can you find a statue of Columbus? Barcelona, Spain A narrow strip of land that connects two land masses is an _____. isthmus What was Balboa known for?

Being the 1st European to see the Pacific What future US state did Ponce de Leon explore? Florida What island was Ponce de Leon the governor of? Hispaniola The NW (northwest) passage was a water route through North America. False Cartier sailed for what country? France Cartier is credited for naming what country? Canada What river did Cartier travel? the St. Lawrence river Was Cartier the first explorer to sail the St. Lawrence river? Yes What country are Dutch people from? the Netherlands Which two countries did Henry Hudson sail for? Britain and Netherlands What caused Hudson to turn back when sailing above Russia? mutiny/an angry crew Henry Hudson found the Northwest Passage (T or F) False Name two things that were named by Hudson. Hudson Bay and Hudson River What year did Juan Ponce de Leon begin his exploration? 1513 What was Ponce de Leon searching for? the Fountain of Youth and gold What country sponsored Ponce de Leon? Spain Name some of Ponce de Leon's obstacles? fighting with Native Americans How did Ponce de Leon die? He was killed by a poisonous arrow What did Ponce de Leon discover and name?

Florida, named after "flowers" Who was the first Spanish explorer in the United States? Ponce de Leon What city is the oldest in the United States? St. Augustine, Florida What year did Jacques Cartier begin his exploration? 1534 - 1541 What was Cartier searching for? the Northwest Passage Much sought after sea route to Asia around North America. Formal: A sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. What country sponsored Cartier? What obstacles did Cartier face? disease (scurvy) Who claimed the Gaspe' Peninsula for France Cartier Who brought back corn from the Iroquois Native Americans? Cartier What is Cartier known for? getting along with Native Americans What river did Cartier sail 1000 miles of? St. Lawrence River When did Henry Hudson begin his exploration? 1608-1610 What was Hudson searching for? the Nortwest Passage What two countries sponsored Hudson? England and Dutch What explorer faced a crew mutiny and extremely cold weather? Henry Hudson What US city is Henry Hudson credited for discovering?

New York What two bodies of water did Hudson sail on? The Hudson River and the Hudson Bay Where was Hudson last seen? in Hudson Bay How Columbus Sailed Into U.S. History, Thanks To Italians : Code Switch : NPR How Columbus Sailed Into U.S. History, Thanks To Italians October 14, 201310:15 AM ET Lakshmi Gandhi Though he sailed in 1492, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among Americans until the mid-1700s. Spencer Arnold/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Spencer Arnold/Getty Images Though he sailed in 1492, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among Americans until the mid-1700s. Spencer Arnold/Getty Images It's been 521 years since the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus "sailed the ocean blue/in fourteen hundred and ninety-two." Since then, there have been thousands of parades, speeches and statues commemorating Columbus, along with a critical rethinking of his life and legacy. But the question remains, how did a man who never set foot on North America get a federal holiday in his name?

While Columbus did arrive in the "New World" when he cast anchor in the Bahamas, he never made it to the United States. This is in contrast to Juan Ponce de Leon (who arrived in Florida in 1513), Alonso Alvarez de Pineda (whose ships arrived in what's now known as Corpus Christi Bay in Texas in 1519) and fellow Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano, who reached New York Harbor in 1524. The First Gun In America So why Columbus Day? Until the mid-1700s, Christopher Columbus was not widely known among most Americans. This began to change in the late 1700s, after the United States gained independence from Britain. The name "Columbia" soon became a synonym for the United States, with the name being used for various landmarks in the newly created nation (see the District of Columbia, Columbia University and the Columbia River). Writer Washington Irving's A History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus , published in 1828, is the source of much of the glorification and myth-making related to Columbus today and is considered highly fictionalized.

For example, Irving's portrayal of Columbus is of a benevolent, adventurous man who was known for his generosity to Indians. In the best-seller, Columbus "was extremely desirous of dispelling any terror or distrust that might have been awakened in the island by the pursuit of the fugitives," after the escape of a group of Indian captives . This, of course, is the complete opposite of Columbus' actual behavior toward native people. (Incidentally, A History of the Life was also responsible for the incorrect belief that most people thought the Earth was flat until after Columbus's journey.) Article continues after sponsorship Anti-Italian Sentiment While Italians had always been a part of American history, it wasn't until the 1820s that Italian immigrants began moving to the United States in sizable numbers. The largest wave of Italian immigration occurred between 1880 and the start of World War I in 1914. As Italian-Americans began to settle in the country's major cities, they often faced religious and ethnic discrimination.

As Andrew Rolle wrote in his book, The Italian Americans: Troubled Roots, Italians were often portrayed as "short of stature, dark in complexion, cruel and shifty." Newspaper reports at the time often used the word "swarthy" to refer to Italians and other language of the time focused on the foreignness (and Catholic-ness) of these new Americans. These anti-Italian sentiments occasionally led to brutal violence. One of the largest mass lynchings in the United States occurred in New Orleans in 1891, when 11 Sicilian immigrants were lynched after the city's police commissioner was killed and suspicion had been placed on the Italian community. (The 11 men had been found not guilty before the lynching. A New York Times editorial had this reaction: "Yet while every good citizen will readily assent to the proposition that this affair is to be deplored, it would be difficult to find any one individual who would confess that privately he deplores it very much.") The first official commemoration of Columbus' journey occurred in 1892, just a year after the New Orleans lynchings.

That's when President Benjamin Harrison became the first president to call for a national observance of Columbus Day, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival. Harrison's proclamation directly linked the legacy of Columbus to American patriotism, with the proclamation celebrating the hard work of the American people and Columbus equally: "On that day let the people, so far as possible, cease from toil and devote themselves to such exercises as may best express honor to the discoverer and their appreciation of the great achievements of the four completed centuries of American life." Harrison's proclamation is notable in that there are no real references to Columbus' life, work or nationality. Instead, it was very specific to the 400th anniversary of Columbus' journey and how far America as a whole had come since then. Celebrating Heritage, Via Columbus Because Italian-Americans were struggling against religious and ethnic discrimination in the United States, many in the community saw celebrating the life and accomplishments of Christopher Columbus as a way for Italian Americans to be accepted by the mainstream. As historian Christopher J.

Kauffman once wrote, "Italian Americans grounded legitimacy in a pluralistic society by focusing on the Genoese explorer as a central figure in their sense of peoplehood." The first state to officially observe Columbus Day was Colorado in 1906. Instrumental in the creation of the holiday was Angelo Noce , an Italian immigrant who was the founder of Colorado's first Italian newspaper, La Stella. In New York City, the annual Columbus Day parade is a celebration of Italian-American heritage. Mario Tama/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Mario Tama/Getty Images Noce and fellow Italian-American Siro Mangini dreamed of honoring Christopher Columbus and worked with Colorado's first Hispanic state Sen. Casimiro Barela, to sponsor a bill proposing a Columbus Day holiday. (Interestingly, Siro Mangini owned a tavern named after Columbus. As his daughter recalled , "He finally decided to call it Christopher Columbus Hall, thinking that he was [the] one Italian [that] Americans would not throw rocks at.") Within five years of Colorado's creating the holiday, 14 other states were also celebrating Columbus Day. Not everyone was happy about the possibility of a national holiday to honor Columbus.

Around the same time people like Angelo Noce were working to make Columbus Day happen, there was also a movement going on to promote the Viking explorer Leif Erikson. In 1925, while marking the centennial of the first arrival of Norwegian immigrants to the United States, President Calvin Coolidge told a crowd of thousands at the Minnesota State Fair that he believed that Erikson was the first European to discover America. Erikson is believed to have arrived in what is now Newfoundland, Canada, about 500 years before Columbus' arrival. This belief is supported by old Norse sagas that say the Vikings reached North America around the year 1000. In 1930, Wisconsin became the first state to observe Leif Erikson Day. (The day would become a national day of observance in 1954 and falls on Oct. 9. President Obama's 2013 declaration can be read here .) It wasn't until 1934 that Columbus Day became a federal holiday during Franklin Roosevelt's administration.

The Knights of Columbus , a Catholic fraternal service organization, was instrumental in the creation of the holiday, (founded in 1882, the organization named itself after Columbus as a way to reflect that Roman Catholics were always part of American life.) In 1970, Congress declared it would be the second Monday of October. Exploring Alternatives Since the 1970s, Columbus' life and legacy has been examined much more critically by academics and the general public alike, and the mixed feelings now associated with the day reflect that. According to historian Matthew Dennis, "Within 50 years of 1492, the Greater Antilles and Bahamas saw their population reduced from an estimated million people to about 500." That's a shocking statistic. Demonstrators urge passersby to "rethink Columbus Day" during a Native American-led protest of the holiday in Seattle in October 2011. Elaine Thompson/AP hide caption toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP Three states with significant native populations — Hawaii, Alaska and South Dakota — do not observe the day at all. In 1990, South Dakota decided to celebrate "Native American Day" instead.

In Hawaii, the state choses to celebrate "Discoverers' Day" and its Polynesian community on the second Monday of October. Alaska is said not to celebrate the day because it falls too close to Alaska Day (Oct. 18). And the city of Berkeley , Calif., declared in 1992 that it would be celebrating "Indigenous Peoples Day" on the same day the rest of the country would be celebrating Columbus. Throughout all of these discussions and changes, Columbus Day remained a celebration of Italian-American pride. Perhaps the best known pop culture reference to this pride is the 2002 Sopranos episode "Christopher," in which Silvio becomes incensed at a planned Native American Columbus Day protest and plans to take action. In 2009, Nu Heightz Cinema released a PSA entitled "Reconsider Columbus Day," urging people to reflect on Columbus's true legacy.

"With all due respect," the various Native American narrators intoned, "there's been an ugly truth that has been overlooked for way too long." And last week, Matthew Inman, the founder and cartoonist of The Oatmeal, illustrated the history of Columbus' time in the Bahamas, with an emphasis on the natives he enslaved (Inman calls Columbus "the father of the Transatlantic Slave Trade") and notes that Columbus' goal was to acquire as much gold as possible. Inman instead suggests that Americans should celebrate the life and career of fellow explorer Bartolomé de las Casas . De las Casas, like Columbus, originally participated in the slave trade, but later repented and devoted his life to defending indigenous people's rights. Whatever you think of Columbus Day, most people would probably agree with this writer for The Star Ledger, who recently noted that "if there's a more embattled holiday on the calendar than Columbus Day, I'd be hard pressed to find it." Columbus sailed the ocean blue. He had three ships and left from Spain; He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain. He sailed by night; he sailed by day; He used the stars to find his way.

A compass also helped him know How to find the way to go. Ninety sailors were on board; Some men worked while others snored. Then the workers went to sleep; And others watched the ocean deep. Day after day they looked for land; They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand. October 12 their dream came true, You never saw a happier crew! "Indians! Indians!" Columbus cried; His heart was filled with joyful pride. But "India" the land was not; It was the Bahamas, and it was hot. The Arawak natives were very nice; They gave the sailors food and spice. Columbus sailed on to find some gold To bring back home, as he'd been told. He made the trip again and again, Trading gold to bring to Spain. The first American? No, not quite. But Columbus was brave, and he was bright. A New World Columbus found a new world Because he dared to do A thing that was unheard of- A thing that was quite new. Columbus found a new world Because he made a start, Instead of merely pond'ring o'er The thoughts within his heart.

Columbus found a new world Because he saw things through And you can find your new world Precisely that way, too. Christopher Columbus was one of a kind. A way to the Indies he wanted to find. People said, "Chris, you'll never succeed." But he had a plan, he had a need. Sailing from Spain was Chris' idea, On the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. People said, "Chris, you'll fall off the earth." But he followed his dream for all it was worth. The year was 1492 When Columbus set off with an eager crew. People said, "Chris, you'll never reach land." But on he sailed, just as planned. Two months later, an island was found. There were Native Americans all around. Chris and his crew began to explore What the Indians discovered long before. Chris didn't know the trip he led Was not to the Indies, but America instead! Even so, he gained such fame That now the whole world knows his name! Christopher Columbus Columbus was a wise man Who thought the earth was round; He planned to sail across the sea Where trading could be found.

Though kings did not believe him, And men thought he would fail, He found one friend, the Spanish queen, Who gave him ships to sail. The crew rebelled, the sea was rough In 1492; Still this brave man kept sailing on In spite of sea or crew. But when they spied America, They landed with a cheer - And that is why we celebrate Columbus Day each year. Columbus said, "The earth is round. Across the sea I'll go. Although some say the earth is flat, I'll prove it is not so." Columbus crossed the ocean. When his sailors cried, "Turn back!" He would not listen to their pleas, But kept the onward track. Then when Columbus sighted land, Their creis and fears were gone. I hope that I shall be as brave As he was, and 'sail on!" Columbus sailed from far off Spain A long, long time ago. He had three ships that only moved When winds would pull and blow. We're mighty glad he was so brave And every year we tell Of how he found America The land we love so well.

Christopher Columbus Columbus sailed over the ocean, Columbus sailed over the sea, Columbus sailed over the ocean, An eager explorer was he! In Spain, many people were laughing. They said, "He'll fall flat off the earth!" Columbus said, "I'll find the Indies!" And sailed on for all he was worth! Columbus soon came to an island, With Native Americans there. Columbus had sailed to the New World, And so he explored everywhere! Columbus did not find the Indies, But land others found long before. But still we remember Columbus, Who followed his dream to explore! Columbus Day and Christopher Columbus - Wilstar.com Wilstar.com Play the Columbus Day Word Search Puzzle Related Information Map of the Four Expeditions Columbus Day is celebrated every year on the second Monday of October in the United States. This commemorates Columbus’s journey to North America, as he touched on land on October 12, 1492. It is mostly celebrated with a day off from school or work, which is used for recreational activities such as trips to parks or relaxing. The day is also seen as an anniversary of the United States.

Churches may hold special services, communities sometimes hold parades, and institutions such as schools and libraries will hold educational events. It is a popular day for picnics and barbeques. Most larger celebrations are held within the Italian-American community since Christopher Columbus was Italian, however these can sometimes focus on Italian heritage rather than Columbus’s influence. Not all states celebrate Columbus Day—Nevada and California do not celebrate and Hawaiians call it either Discoverer’s Day or Landing Day. Some celebrate with a celebration of indigenous people instead, such as Berkley, California’s Indigenous People’s Day and Native Americans’ Day in South Dakota. There is a controversy regarding the holiday due to the onset of violence between these early European settlers and Native Americans. Also, Columbus is widely believed to have actually not been the first European to find North America. Leif Erikson and other Norse explorers had made excursions to the continent from Iceland centuries before. While he is often portrayed as the first to discover the New World, many will point out that the Native Americans had found the land well before and had been cultivating and developing civilizations there since. Large celebrations take place in San Francisco and New York.

San Francisco’s celebration boasts being the oldest one, celebrating with a Columbus Day Parade since 1868. New York’s claims to be the largest parade, with over 35,000 participants and almost one million observers. History Columbus was born in northern Italy in October of 1451. He spent much of his childhood helping his mother run her cheese stand. In his writings, Columbus claims to have taken his first voyage when he was ten years old. Before becoming an explorer, he traded throughout the West African coast. During the 1480s, Columbus started preparing a plan to reach Asia through the Atlantic Ocean, not knowing that North America lay in his path. After making proposals to the king of Portugal twice, which were rejected, he approached leaders in Genoa and Venice before finding support from Ferdinand II and Isabella I, the monarchs of Spain. Columbus set sail with 90 men and three ships the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria in 1492. Due to his navigational miscalculations, he landed in the West Indies, calling the natives there Indians due to thinking he had reached India. This is not, however, because he believed the earth was round.

Most people at the time, especially sailors who regularly navigated the seas, did not believe this. The Santa Maria sank on Christmas Day that same year, preceding Columbus’s return to Spain. Columbus’s second voyage consisted of 17 ships as he set off to help settle Hispaniola. He went on to make four voyages from Spain to the Americas from 1492 to 1503, beginning the colonization of the Americas. > The first Columbus Day celebration took place in 1792, when the Columbian Order in New York City held a ceremony for the voyage’s 300th anniversary. The next was in 1866 by Italian-Americans. In 1905, Colorado was the first state to declare the holiday, starting the annual tradition. It was declared a national holiday in 1971 by congress.

Question: In what year did Columbus sail the ocean blue?
Answer: 1492