 Why do we recognize Casimir Pulaski Day?
PUBLIC ACT 80-621. ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT.
BIRTHDAY OF CASIMIR PULASKI--FIRST MONDAY IN MARCH--HOLIDAY.
AN ACT to make Casimir Pulaski's birthday a holiday.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly :
Section 1. The first Monday in March of each year is a holiday to be observed throughout the State and to be known as the birthday of Casimir Pulaski. Within 10 days prior to the first Monday in March of each year the Governor shall issue a proclamation announcing the holiday and designating the official events which shall be held in honor of the memory of Casimir Pulaski and his contribution to American independence. Passed in the General Assembly June 20, 1977.
Approved September 13, 1977.
 Casimir Pulaski Commemorative Stamp
On Jan. 16, 1931, the U.S. Post Office Department issued this commemorative stamp honoring Polish patriot Casimir Pulaski, who fought with American forces during the American Revolution. The stamp was first released in Savannah, where he died, as well as in eleven American cities with large Polish populations. The 2-cent stamp was released to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Casimir Pulaski, who was mortally wounded in the siege of Savannah. However, as Pulaski died on Sept. 11, 1779, the stamp came over a year after the sesquicentennial of his death. However, on the bicentennial of Pulaski's death in 1979, the Postal Service released a postal card showing him on horseback .
 Casimir Pulaski Commemorative Postal Card
The Postal Service issued this postal card on September 11, 1979 with first-day-of-issue ceremonies in Savannah. The design shows Count Pulaski on horseback at the siege of Savannah in 1779. Sometimes called the father of American cavalry, Pulaski came to Georgia in the fall of 1779. His land forces, joined by the French Navy, unsuccessfully attempted to dislodge British forces holding Savannah. On September 9, Pulaski was mortally wounded, and he died two days later.
This was the second time that Pulaski has been honored on an American stamp or postal card, the first being a 1931 commemorative stamp.
|
