A bronze statue was dedicated to Leif Erickson. This statue is in St. Paul, Minnesota. This statue is 13 feet tall. This statue was dedicated to him because he was the first European to discover North America. To discover North America he bought a boat and started sailing with Thyrker and some men. They sailed west 600 miles and discovered North America.
Though many still regard Christopher Columbus as the discoverer of the New World, Eiriksson’s right to this title received the stamp of official approval in the USA when in 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson, backed by a unanimous Congress, proclaimed October 9th “Leif Ericson Day” in commemoration of the first arrival of a European on North American soil. In 1995, The Sons of Norway, a local benevolent society, donated money to the state for the refinishing of the John Daniels 1949 bronze statue of Leif Erickson.
Thanks to Mr. Gunderson’s 6th grade class at Virginia-Roosevelt Elementary School for the research on October’s Day in History.
Thanks also to Minnesota’s Learn and Serve America Service Learning Program for their help.
Minnesota Sesquicentennial 