Today is Columbus Day

Columbus Day is observed in the United States each year on the second Monday in October, reports the National Day Calendar.  The day signifies Christopher Columbus’ arrival to America on October 12, 1492. Christopher Columbus was long given credit for discovering North America. However, long before Columbus was born in 1451, Leif Erikson landed on American shores. During the 1492 expedition, Columbus was looking for Asia. He and his crew landed their three ships somewhere near the modern-day Bahamas. While he may not have discovered an already populated continent, he did spur further exploration and colonization of North America.  In 1937, Columbus Day became a federal holiday in the United States.