    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 124, 111th Congress, 2nd Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    PROCLAMATION 8485--MAR. 24, 2010

    Proclamation 8485 of March 24, 2010
    Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and
    American Democracy, 2010
    By the President of the United States of America
    A Proclamation

    Today, as we commemorate the 189th anniversary of Greece's independence,
    we reaffirm the ties that link our nations together as allies and warm
    friends. We also honor the accomplishments of Greek Americans and their
    immeasurable contributions to the United States.
    It was the genius of America's forebears to enshrine the pre-eminent
    idea of democracy in our Nation's founding documents. Inspired by the
    governing values of ancient Greece, they launched the great American
    experiment. Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of our Declaration of
    Independence, later expressed his admiration for the Greeks and their
    heritage as they fought their War of Independence. Writing in 1823, he
    acknowledged Greece as ``the first of civilized nations, [which]
    presented examples of what man should be.''
    The Hellenic influence on America's scholarly traditions reflects our
    Nation's high regard for Greece's lasting heritage. Our physicians
    uphold the timeless ethics of Hippocrates, and our students learn the
    mathematics of Euclid and Pythagoras. Our law schools use the Socratic
    Method, and the structures of ancient Greece have inspired many of our
    most cherished buildings and monuments. Greek Americans have also shaped
    our Nation as leaders in every sector of American life, and their
    community has strengthened the fabric of our country with its vibrant
    culture and unique traditions.
    Above all, we were blessed to inherit the Hellenic ideal of democracy,
    which lives on today in Greece and America, and reinforces the enduring
    bonds between our two nations.
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
    America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
    the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 25, 2010, as
    ``Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and
    American Democracy.'' I call upon all the people of the United States to
    observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-fourth day
    of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the
    Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
    fourth.
    BARACK OBAMA