[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 10, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ACKNOWLEDGING APRIL 17, 2024, AS THE 500TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DISCOVERY 
               OF NEW YORK BAY BY GIOVANNI DA VERRAZZANO

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2024

  Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following 
Proclamation acknowledging April 17, 2024, as the 500th anniversary of 
the discovery of New York Bay by Giovanni da Verrazzano:
  Whereas Giovanni da Verrazzano was born in 1485 in Val di Greve, 
Republic of Florence, which is now a part of the Italian Republic;
  Whereas King Francis I of France commissioned Verrazzano to lead an 
expedition aimed at finding a western passage from the Atlantic Ocean 
to the Pacific Ocean;
  Whereas Verrazzano's discovery of New York Bay expanded maritime 
knowledge of what became the East Coast of the United States and laid 
the foundation for future commerce and settlements in North America;
  Whereas Verrazzano's voyage sparked future explorations of the New 
World, including, 85 years later, Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage to New 
York Bay to establish New Amsterdam;
  Whereas New Amsterdam became New York on September 8, 1664;
  Whereas New York City has the highest economic impact of any city in 
the United States and continues to serve as a major global economic 
hub, and New York Bay continues to be a major hub for trade and 
commerce;
  Whereas New York Bay, home to the Statue of Liberty, is where 12 
million immigrants legally passed through Ellis Island at a rate of 
5,000 people per day from 1892 to 1954;
  Whereas the New York City metropolitan area is home to over 2.5 
million Italian Americans;
  Whereas to commemorate and underscore the significant impact of 
Giovanni da Verrazzano's discovery of New York Bay, on March 9, 1960, 
Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed legislation that named the bridge 
connecting the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn as the 
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge;
  Whereas the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge was inaugurated on November 21, 
1964, was the world's longest suspension bridge until 1981, and spans 
the Narrows; and
  Whereas the legacy of Giovanni da Verrazzano is further honored at 
Battery Park, New York City, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, recognizing 
Verrazzano's impact as the first European explorer to chart what became 
the East Coast of the United States.

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