A Brief History of Columbus Day

We all know the story—"Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492." But as Monday marks Columbus Day in honor of Christopher Columbus, there's more controversy surrounding the holiday than we were taught in grade school.

Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451, and his given name was Cristoforo Colombo. He began a career as a seafarer at the age of 14 and later supported himself by selling maps and charts, according to Associated Content.

Now Columbus Day, which is annually on the second Monday of October, remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492.

But not all parts of the United States celebrate Columbus Day. It is not a public holiday in California, Nevada and Hawaii, where Columbus Day is also known as Landing Day or Discoverer's Day. Moreover, Native Americans’ Day is celebrated in South Dakota, while Indigenous People’s Day is celebrated in Berkeley, CA.

The holiday is controversial because historians have argued that the European settlement in the Americas led to the demise of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples.

Opposition to Columbus Day dates back to the 19th century, when anti-immigrant groups in the United States rejected the holiday because of its association with Catholicism.

Then in recent decades, Native Americans and other groups have protested the celebration of an event that indirectly resulted in the colonization of the Americas and the death of millions since European settlers brought a host of infectious diseases, including smallpox and influenza, that decimated indigenous populations; warfare between Native Americans and the colonists claimed many lives as well.

The image of Christopher Columbus as an intrepid hero has also been called into question. Upon arriving in the Bahamas, the explorer and his men forced the native peoples they found there into slavery. Later, while serving as the governor of Hispaniola, he allegedly imposed barbaric forms of punishment, including torture.

In many Latin American nations, the anniversary of Columbus' landing has traditionally been observed as the Dìa de la Raza ("Day of the Race"), a celebration of Hispanic culture's diverse roots.

In 2002, Venezuela renamed the holiday Dìa de la Resistencia Indìgena ("Day of Indigenous Resistance") to recognize native peoples and their experience.

Nonetheless, federal and county offices closed in observance of the holiday, as well as local post offices and .

During Columbus Day, Americans are invited to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of their country with church services and other activities. In some towns and cities, special church services, parades and large events are held.

Most celebrations are concentrated around the Italian-American community. The celebrations in New York and San Francisco are particularly noteworthy.

In 1905, Colorado became the first state to observe Columbus Day. Over the next 20 years, other states followed. President Franklin Roosevelt designated Columbus Day a national holiday in the 1930s, according to the Library of Congress.

— Patch staffers contributed to this report.