[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 9037--OCT. 8, 2013

Proclamation 9037 of October 8, 2013

Leif Erikson Day, 2013
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
More than a millennium ago, Leif Erikson, a son of Iceland and grandson
of Norway, cast off from Norway's familiar shores and set sail for
Greenland. Erikson and his crew were not aiming to make history. But
their ship drifted off course in the North Atlantic, and they landed in
present-day Canada, making them the first Europeans known to visit North
America. Their settlement, Vinland, sustained them in the following
months. And when the seafarers returned to Greenland, they brought
stories of discovery with them and forged the first link in a chain that
has connected our continents ever since.
Today, we commemorate Leif Erikson's journey. We also honor a group of
Norwegian immigrants who summoned that same striving spirit centuries
later. Together, in 1825, they braved uncertain waters with hope in
their hearts, confident that greater opportunity and brighter horizons
awaited them on American shores. The travelers were among the first to
complete the voyage from Norway to New York City. And just as Leif
Erikson had, they lit the way for generations to follow.
These stories reaffirm that America has always been a place of unbounded
promise. We are home to explorers and entrepreneurs, im-


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migrants and
innovators. We endeavor to be a country where anyone who is willing to
work hard and take risks can turn even the most improbable idea into
something great. On Leif Erikson Day, we celebrate that legacy and the
countless Norwegian Americans who have lived it, and we carry it forward
in the years ahead.
To honor Leif Erikson and celebrate our Nordic-American heritage, the
Congress, by joint resolution (Public Law 88-566) approved on September
2, 1964, has authorized the President of the United States to proclaim
October 9 of each year as ``Leif Erikson Day.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim October 9, 2013, as Leif Erikson Day. I call
upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies,
activities, and programs to honor our rich Nordic-American heritage.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighth 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.
BARACK OBAMA