Leif Erikson Day - October 9

Leif Erikson Day is an annual observance that occurs on October 9.

Modern artistic rendering of Leif Erikson in Leif Erikson Park, Duluth, Minnesota

It honors Leif Erikson (Old Norse: Leifr Eiríksson), the Norse explorer who, in approximately 1000, led the first Europeans believed to have set foot on the continent of North America (other than Greenland).

Because the exact date of Leif's arrival to the Americas is unknown, the October 9 date was chosen in commemoration of the Restauration's arrival to New York Harbor, carrying some of the first Norwegian immigrants to the United States.

History

Leif Erikson (c. 970s - c. 1018 to 1025), was a Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America, approximately half a millennium before Christopher Columbus. According to the sagas of Icelanders, he established a Norse settlement at Vinland, which is usually interpreted as being in coastal North America.

Leif's place of birth is unknown, although it is assumed to have been in Iceland. His father, Erik the Red, founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland, where Leif was later raised.

Learn more about Leif Erikson

Learn more about Erik the Red

Reference: Wikipedia