Presidential Message on Leif Erikson Day

Half a millennium before legendary American hero Christopher Columbus set foot in the New World, Norse explorer Leif Erikson made history as the first European to arrive on the North American continent. This Leif Erikson Day, we celebrate his exceptional legacy of bravery, daring, and exploration as we build upon our extraordinary relationships with our Nordic partners and open a glorious new chapter in America’s Arctic story. Born in 970, Leif Erikson developed a love for exploration and adventure that he would carry through his entire life, a calling that would change the world for centuries to come.