1. The Second Monday in October
Columbus Day
The Second Monday in October

2. Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451.
He began to sail when he was 14. He wanted to be an explorer.

3. Many people at that time thought the world was flat. He disagreed
Many people at that time thought the world was flat. He disagreed. He believed he could sail around it because it was round.

4. People went to Asia to get spices
People went to Asia to get spices. They usually went by land, but Columbus wanted to sail there.

5. He asked Queen Isabella of Spain to help pay for his trip
He asked Queen Isabella of Spain to help pay for his trip. He told her that he might discover new land for Spain.

6. He began his trip in August, 1492. He took three ships.

7. Columbus and his crew saw land on October 12, 1492.

8. He claimed the land for Spain.

9. They were in the Caribbean Islands, but Columbus thought he was in Asia. He called the natives “Indians”.

10. He made four trips to the “New World”. He never knew he wasn’t in Asia.

11. President Franklin D. Roosevelt made Columbus Day a holiday in 1937.
Although post offices and some banks are closed, schools and businesses are usually open on Columbus Day.

12. 2007 eslhome.net