[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 202 (Friday, October 18, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 62337-62338]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-24525]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 202 / Friday, October 18, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 62337]]


                Proclamation 9041 of October 11, 2013

                
Columbus Day, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Late in the summer of 1492, Christopher Columbus, a 
                renowned navigator and fearless adventurer, set out 
                with three ships into uncharted waters. He hoped to 
                discover a new route to the east--opening trade routes 
                for precious spices and paving the way for his patrons, 
                Ferdinand II and Isabella I, to expand their empire. 
                Instead, more than two months later, his crew spotted 
                the Bahamas, and our world was changed forever.

                A son of Genoa, Italy, Columbus blazed a trail for 
                generations of Italians who followed his path across 
                the Atlantic. As we mark the anniversary of his voyage, 
                our Nation embraces the many ways Italian Americans 
                have enriched our culture and our communities--as 
                soldiers who defend our Nation in times of war, as 
                leaders and laborers, as educators and entrepreneurs. 
                This deep-rooted heritage has come to define who we are 
                as a Nation, and it has helped us forge an 
                extraordinary transatlantic partnership with the people 
                of Italy.

                As Christopher Columbus and his crew made landfall, 
                they could not have foreseen the ways in which their 
                journey would shake contemporary understanding of the 
                world, or the lasting mark their arrival would leave on 
                the Native American societies they encountered. So as 
                we celebrate the bold legacy of Christopher Columbus, 
                we also pay tribute to the honorable yet arduous 
                history of Native Americans, with whom the United 
                States will always maintain strong nation-to-nation 
                relationships.

                As today's dreamers, explorers, scientists, and 
                engineers set their sights on the next great discovery, 
                may they be inspired by Christopher Columbus's tale of 
                unbounded courage and unwavering spirit. And as we 
                pursue knowledge and progress, may we never lose sight 
                of our shared humanity.

                In commemoration of Christopher Columbus's historic 
                voyage 521 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 
                14, 2013, 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 62338]]

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

[FR Doc. 2013-24525
Filed 10-17-13; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F4