October 12, 2020

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Columbus Day

Today is Columbus Day and whether you celebrate it or have a less than favorable view of Columbus, it will help to learn a little more about the day.

Did you know Columbus inspired the name Columbia? Historically Columbia has been the poetic name used for the United States and also the name of its female personification. The image of Columbia represented America until it was supplanted by the Statue of Liberty in the 20th century.

Columbia has given her name to many places, objects, and institutions, like Columbia University and the District of Columbia.

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Today's Random Fact:

Christopher Columbus wasn't the first European to find the Americas, as he set foot on islands in the Bahamas. Technically, Columbus never entered North America and never knew he discovered a continent. And even if he had set foot in 1492, the Native Americans were already in America and the region is believed to have been discovered 500 years before Christopher Columbus' birth by Norse explorer Leif Erikson.

Bonus Fact:

While the federal holiday is called Columbus Day in the United States, it is called Dia de la Raza ("Day of the Race") in many Latin American countries.

In the United states, four states do no recognize Columbus Day. Those states are Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and South Dakota. Instead, Hawaii celebrates Discoverers' Day, South Dakota celebrates the day as Native American Day and Oregon does not recognize or commemorate the day. Other states, like Nevada and Iowa, do not celebrate the day as an official holiday.