Columbus Day century found definitive evidence proving April 22 to be the actual date of the arrival of Cabral's fleet on South American shores. In 2000, the government of Brazil used the date to celebrate 500 years of the existence of the country. The festivities, however, were met with protests by indigenous peoples who claimed it marked 500 years of genocide of indigenous Brazilians. Only a handful of Caribbean countries still observe holidays related to Columbus Day. In Belize, October 12 is celebrated as Day of the Americas or Pan American Day. In the Bahamas, it was formerly known as Discovery Day,
Columbus Day la Diversidad Cultural"" (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity) November 3, 2010. ""Giornata Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo"or "Festa Nazionale di Cristoforo Colombo"" is the formal name of Italy's celebration as well as in Little Italys around the world. Celebration of Christopher Columbus's voyage in the early United States is recorded from as early as 1792. The Tammany Society in New York City (for whom it became an annual tradition) and the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston celebrated the 300th anniversary of Columbus' landing in the New World. President Benjamin Harrison called upon the people of the United States to celebrate