[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 23408]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              COLUMBUS DAY

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, today is Columbus Day. When we look back on 
the history of Columbus Day and the history in this body, it was 
October 12 of 1492, the sailor onboard the Pinta landed, and the next 
day Christopher Columbus and his three ships landed at the Bahamian 
Island, ending a nearly 10-week journey across the Atlantic.
  Today, as we have been working here all day, people have been 
celebrating Columbus Day all over the United States. It is the day to 
honor Christopher Columbus's sense of bravery, his curiosity, his dream 
in making that dream come true, all of which are concepts that are 
still very much alive and well today in the spirit of Americans.
  The first recorded celebration of Columbus Day took place on October 
12, 1792. That was to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Columbus's 
landing. A century later, the first official celebration occurred when 
President Benjamin Harrison issued a proclamation urging Americans to 
mark the day. And over the next decades, the Knights of Columbus, a 
Roman Catholic fraternal order, lobbied State legislatures to declare 
October 12 an official holiday. Colorado was the first to so in 1907, 
followed by New York in 1909. The Federal Government declared Columbus 
Day an official holiday in 1971.
  As we have been working today and as we bring things to a close, we 
see all of the country marching in parades in our cities and towns, 
coming together to enjoy families and friends. When I finish, I will 
celebrate the birthday of my son, which has been put on hold until we 
adjourn, which will be shortly. It causes us to reflect a little bit 
about dreaming, curiosity, of the bravery that took place over 500 
years ago.

                          ____________________