Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4739

 124 STAT. 4713 PROCLAMATION 8581—OCT. 8, 2010 German ancestry who have been an integral part of our national life. On German-American Day, we pay tribute to the role this community has played in shaping America and contributing to our progress and prosperity. On October 6, 1683, 13 courageous German families arrived in Penn- sylvania to start a new life. They began a chapter in the American nar- rative that has influenced our country in all walks of life, and their re- solve lives on in the men, women, and families of German descent who enhance civic engagement, steer our industries, and fortify our Nation’s character. With their dedication and determination, the United States has been a leader in ingenuity and entrepreneurship, and has delivered a message of hope and opportunity that resonates around the world. Today, German Americans innovate and excel as leaders in all sectors of our society. On this occasion, we honor not only the countless achievements and rich heritage of German Americans, but also the strong ties between Germany and the United States. Our two nations share unbreakable bonds as allies with solemn obligations to one another’s security; val- ues that inspired those brave settlers four centuries ago; and a vision for a safer, freer, more peaceful, more prosperous world. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Con- stitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 6, 2010, as German-American Day. I encourage all Americans to learn more about the history of German Americans and reflect on the many contributions they have made to our Nation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Inde- pendence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- fifth. BARACK OBAMA Proclamation 8581 of October 8, 2010 Leif Erikson Day, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Over 1,000 years ago, the lure of discovery led Leif Erikson—a son of Iceland and grandson of Norway—and his crew on an ambitious explo- ration of present-day Greenland and Canada. Centuries later, after a months-long ocean voyage, a group of Norwegians landed in New York City on October 9, 1825, the first large group of immigrants to arrive in the United States from Norway. To commemorate that event and pay tribute to our rich Nordic-American heritage, we celebrate Leif Erikson Day in honor of the first European known to set foot on North Amer- ican soil more than a millennium ago. Countless immigrants who crossed the Atlantic on voyages to the New World looked to Leif Erikson as a symbol of fortitude and a hero who did not turn back in the face of danger and uncertainty. Leif Erikson’s