[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 198 (Friday, October 12, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 62135-62136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25229]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 198 / Friday, October 12, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 62135]]


                Proclamation 8882 of October 5, 2012

                
Columbus Day, 2012

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                As dawn broke over the Atlantic on October 12, 1492, a 
                perilous 10-week journey across an ocean gave way to 
                encounters and events that would dramatically shape the 
                course of history. Today, we recall the courage and the 
                innovative spirit that carried Christopher Columbus and 
                his crew from a Spanish port to North America, and we 
                celebrate our heritage as a people born of many 
                histories and traditions.

                When the explorers laid anchor in the Bahamas, they met 
                indigenous peoples who had inhabited the Western 
                hemisphere for millennia. As we reflect on the tragic 
                burdens tribal communities bore in the years that 
                followed, let us commemorate the many contributions 
                they have made to the American experience, and let us 
                continue to strengthen the ties that bind us today.

                In the centuries since that fateful October day in 
                1492, countless pioneering Americans have summoned the 
                same spirit of discovery that drove Christopher 
                Columbus when he cast off from Palos, Spain, to pursue 
                the unknown. Engineers and entrepreneurs, sailors and 
                scientists, explorers of the physical world and 
                chroniclers of the human spirit--all have worked to 
                broaden our understanding of the time and space we live 
                in and who we are as a people. On this 520th 
                anniversary of Columbus's expedition to the West, let 
                us press forward with renewed determination toward 
                tomorrow's new frontiers.

                As a native of Genoa, Italy, Christopher Columbus also 
                inspired generations of Italian immigrants to follow in 
                his footsteps. Today, we take time to celebrate the 
                innumerable contributions that generations of Italian 
                Americans have made to our country. Throughout 2013, 
                Italy will also commemorate this rich heritage and the 
                enduring bonds between our countries with the Year of 
                Italian Culture in the United States, which Americans 
                will join in celebrating.

                In commemoration of Christopher Columbus's historic 
                voyage 520 years ago, the Congress, by joint resolution 
                of April 30, 1934, and modified in 1968 (36 U.S.C. 
                107), as amended, has requested the President proclaim 
                the second Monday of October of each year as ``Columbus 
                Day.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 8, 
                2012, as Columbus Day. I call upon the people of the 
                United States to observe this day with appropriate 
                ceremonies and activities. I also direct that the flag 
                of the United States be displayed on all public 
                buildings on the appointed day in honor of our diverse 
                history and all who have contributed to shaping this 
                Nation.

[[Page 62136]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2012-25229
Filed 10-11-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F3