October 9, 2017 – Columbus Day
Many countries celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, which happened on October 12, 1492. It is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as Día de la Raza in many countries in Latin America, as Discovery Day in the Bahamas, as Día de la Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional in Spain, as Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity) in Argentina, as Day of the Americas in Belize, and as Día de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay.
These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late eighteenth century, and officially in various areas since the early twentieth century. Columbus Day became a federal holiday in the United States in 1937. Read more about Columbus Day and Christopher Columbus.
Additional Resources
- Christopher Columbus Biography (younger students)
- Christopher Columbus Biography
- Britannica: The First Voyage, the Second and Third Voyages
- Columbus Reports on His First Voyage
- Did this Map guide Christopher Columbus?
- 10 Things You May Not Know About Christopher Columbus
Activities
- Make a map of one of Christopher Columbus’ voyages.
- Use your imagination to write a journal entry as if you were Christopher Columbus documenting a day on one of his voyages.
- Create a presentation on one of Christopher Columbus’ voyages.
- Draw one of Christopher Columbus’ ships, and send it to info@discoveryk12.com to display in the Multipurpose with your name and grade level.
- Create a timeline of events relating to Christopher Columbus.
