Who Is Columbus?

My VIP for this week is Christopher Columbus because October 12, 2026, is Columbus Day. Today marks the 534^th anniversary since Columbus made landfall in the Americas on October 12, 1492. Columbus’s fleet, consisting of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria had sailed from Palos, Spain, more than a month earlier.

A lookout aboard the Pinta sighted land on the night of October 11, 1492, and shouted “Land” early in the morning on October 12. That morning, Columbus and his crew landed on a small island known to Lucayan Taino people as Guanahani, which he renamed San Salvador. This is the first known contact from Europe with the Americas, and it led to sustained exploration and colonization of the Caribbean by Europeans. This landfall initiated the Age of Discovery.

For many years, Americans celebrated Columbus Day on October 12 annually. It became a federal holiday in 1937. Since the Uniform Monday Holiday Act became law in 1971, Americans celebrate Columbus Day annually on the second Monday in October. It is one of eleven federal holidays. Federal offices, courts, and the U.S. Postal Service close, while most banks also close. Numerous federal employees take Friday off to make a four-day weekend.

Many states, cities, and school districts observe the day as Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a day to honor Native American history, culture, and contributions.