Since 1937, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Columbus Day a federal holiday, every year we have been commemorating Christopher Columbus making landfall in the Americas on Octo­ber 12, 1492.

This year the celebration falls on Monday, October 14, in recogni­tion of Columbus’ – and Europe’s – dis­covery of the entire other half of the world. And we all celebrate the major contributions of Italians and Italian Amer­icans to the world at this time.