[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 125, 112th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 8637 of March 16, 2011

150th Anniversary of the Unification of Italy, 2011
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
On March 17, Italy celebrates the 150th anniversary of its unification
as a single state. On this day, we join with Italians everywhere to
honor the courage, sacrifice, and vision of the patriots who gave birth
to the Italian nation. At a time when the United States was fighting for
the preservation of our own Union, Giuseppe Garibaldi's campaign for the
unification of Italy inspired many around the world in their own
struggles, including the 39th New York Infantry, also known as ``The
Garibaldi Guard.'' Today, the legacy of Garibaldi and all those who
unified Italy lives on in the millions of American women and men of
Italian descent who strengthen and enrich our Nation.
Italy and the United States are bound by friendship and common
dedication to civil liberties, democratic principles, and the universal
human rights our countries both respect and uphold. As we mark this
important milestone in Italian history, we also honor the joint efforts
of Americans and Italians to foster freedom, democracy, and our shared
values throughout the world.
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

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17, 2011, as a day to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Unification
of Italy. I encourage all Americans to learn more about the history of
Italian unification and to honor the enduring friendship between the
people of Italy and the people of the United States.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of
March, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
fifth.
BARACK OBAMA