October 12, 1492 was the day that a sailor on the Pinta sighted
land. It wasn't until 1792 that we have a record of the United
States celebrating Columbus Day. The celebration was organized
by the Society of St. Tammany, also known as the Columbian
Order, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Columbus'
landing. According to
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/oct12.html : The 400th
anniversary of the event inspired the first official Columbus
Day holiday in the United States. President Benjamin Harrison
issued a proclamation in 1892, “recommending to the people the
observance in all their localities of the 400th anniversary of
the discovery of America…” and describing Columbus as “the
pioneer of progress and enlightenment.” Since then, school
programs, plays, and community festivities have been organized
across the country in celebration of Columbus Day. Today,
Columbus Day is a federal holiday observed on the second Monday
of October.