Today is Leif Erikson Day! Leif Erikson was a Viking explorer, who was the first European to discover North America around the year 1000. While the exact date that Leif discovered America is unknown, October 9th was chosen due to in the year 1825 a large number of Norwegian immigrants arrived in America on that day.
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Leif Erikson also known as Leif the Lucky was born sometime in the year 970 to Erik the Red and his wife Thjodhild in Iceland. When Leif was 8 years old he was sent to live with a man named Thyrker, who was a battle captive from Germany captured by Erik. Leif learned how to read and write runes and speak the Celtic and Germanic languages. When Leif turned 12 he returned to his family. Erik took Leif to the a Thingvellir or lawmaking assembly as Erik had been summoned there. The next day Erik got into an argument with a man that was his rival, the argument turned into a fight and Erik killed the man. The Thingvellir council got word of this and banished Erik and his family for 3 years. Erik took his family and headed westward and ended up discovering Greenland when he and his family built a settlement and lived there. When Erik's banishment expired he returned to Iceland and told the Icelanders about Greenland which caused many people to follow him back to Greenland and expand Erik's settlement.
When Leif was 24 he became captain of a ship and undertook his first expedition to Norway, where Leif met King Olav, and stayed at his court for a while. When Leif was younger he met a man named Bjarni Hergelfson, a ship captain, who told him a story about how when Bjarni was sailing west of Greenland he spotted land not covered in ice and looked habitable. Leif decided to try and discover this land, so he bought Bjarni's boat and headed westward. Leif initially found a rocky island which he named Helluland(Slab Land)(modern day Baffin Island) Leif then sailed south and discovered more land which he named Markland(Woodland)(part of modern-day eastern Canada). He then sailed southeast for two days and discovered more land in modern-day Canada, Leif then decided to build a settlement here which was dubbed Vinland as Leif and his crew discovered grapes on the land. Unfortunately the Vinland settlement did not last very long due to conflicts with the natives. Leif returned to Greenland and not much is known about his later life, but in the year 1025 he passed away. In 1929 the American state of Wisconsin passed a bill making October 9th Leif Erikson Day. On October 6th 2000 President Bill Clinton made Leif Erikson Day nationwide.
#WhiteHistoryMonth
Leif Erikson also known as Leif the Lucky was born sometime in the year 970 to Erik the Red and his wife Thjodhild in Iceland. When Leif was 8 years old he was sent to live with a man named Thyrker, who was a battle captive from Germany captured by Erik. Leif learned how to read and write runes and speak the Celtic and Germanic languages. When Leif turned 12 he returned to his family. Erik took Leif to the a Thingvellir or lawmaking assembly as Erik had been summoned there. The next day Erik got into an argument with a man that was his rival, the argument turned into a fight and Erik killed the man. The Thingvellir council got word of this and banished Erik and his family for 3 years. Erik took his family and headed westward and ended up discovering Greenland when he and his family built a settlement and lived there. When Erik's banishment expired he returned to Iceland and told the Icelanders about Greenland which caused many people to follow him back to Greenland and expand Erik's settlement.
When Leif was 24 he became captain of a ship and undertook his first expedition to Norway, where Leif met King Olav, and stayed at his court for a while. When Leif was younger he met a man named Bjarni Hergelfson, a ship captain, who told him a story about how when Bjarni was sailing west of Greenland he spotted land not covered in ice and looked habitable. Leif decided to try and discover this land, so he bought Bjarni's boat and headed westward. Leif initially found a rocky island which he named Helluland(Slab Land)(modern day Baffin Island) Leif then sailed south and discovered more land which he named Markland(Woodland)(part of modern-day eastern Canada). He then sailed southeast for two days and discovered more land in modern-day Canada, Leif then decided to build a settlement here which was dubbed Vinland as Leif and his crew discovered grapes on the land. Unfortunately the Vinland settlement did not last very long due to conflicts with the natives. Leif returned to Greenland and not much is known about his later life, but in the year 1025 he passed away. In 1929 the American state of Wisconsin passed a bill making October 9th Leif Erikson Day. On October 6th 2000 President Bill Clinton made Leif Erikson Day nationwide.
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