[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8882--OCT. 5, 2012

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.


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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.
BARACK OBAMA