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OVERVIEW OF PULASKI DAY
Casimir Pulaski Day is celebrated throughout the State of Illinois on the first Monday of every March to commemorate Casimir Pulaski, a Revolutionary War cavalry officer, and is celebrated mainly in the City of Chicago. Illinois enacted a law on June 20, 1977 to celebrate the birthday of Casimir Pulaski (born March 6th, 1745) and held the first official Pulaski Day celebrations in 1978.
Chicago has a historically large Polish population and residents often joke that the City of Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world, outside of Warsaw and various websites make this claim without reference to any census data. Chicago celebrates Pulaski Day with an annual parade, and many Illinois school children are given the day off. American singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens commemorates "Casimir Pulaski Day" on his album, Illinois, as did rock band Big Black with the 1985 song "Kasimir S. Pulaski Day."
HISTORY OF PULASKI DAY
Kazimierz Pulaski (in the USA referred to as Casimir Pulaski) (March 6, 1745 – October 11/15, 1779), born near Warsaw, Poland, was a Polish nobleman who fought against the Russian Empire in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. From 1768 to 1772, he took part in a confederation against the Russians called the Confederation of Bar.
From 1777 to 1779, he fought for independence of the United States in the American Revolution under the command of George Washington. Pulaski was a noted cavalryman and played a large role in training Revolutionary troops, creating the Pulaski Legion, one of the few cavalry regiments in the contemporary US army. He took part in the siege of Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina) and siege of Savannah (Savannah, Georgia).
During a cavalry charge, on October 9, 1779, while probing for a weak point in the British lines at the battle of Savannah, Pulaski was mortally wounded by grapeshot. He was carried from the field of battle by several comrades, including Colonel John C. Cooper. He was wounded in the thigh and was taken to the brig aboard the USS Wasp. Two days later, on October 11, 1779, he died of wounds without regaining consciousness.
According to several contemporary witnesses, including his aide-de-camp, Pulaski was buried at sea, however a long standing rumor persists that the wounded Pulaski was actually taken to Greenwich plantation near Savannah where he later died and was buried. An eight year long examination of the remains buried at the plantation ended in 2004 having failed to reach a definitive conclusion.
Perhaps one of the first tributes were paid by George Washington, who on 17 November 1779 issued an order to identify friends and foes when crossing military lines: Query: Pulaski Response: Poland. Fort Pulaski National Monument of the American Civil War is named so in honor of Kazimierz Pulaski.
The State of Illinois has celebrated Casimir Pulaski Day on the first Monday of March since 1977, no doubt due to the large Polish population of the city of Chicago; Pulaski Road, one of the city's major arteries, is named after him. The first official celebration of Pulaski Day was in 1978. A bridge on Interstate 65 over the Kankakee River in Indiana is named after him. American singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens commemorates "Casimir Pulaski Day" on his album, "Illinois."
The Pulaski Skyway in northern New Jersey and the Pulaski Bridge in New York City are dedicated to him. By Presidential Proclamation, every October 11 is "General Pulaski Memorial Day", dedicated to Pulaski's memory and the heritage of Polish-Americans. A US Navy submarine, USS Casimir Pulaski (SSBN-633), was named after him.
PULASKI DAY TRIVIA
Pulaski was the second of three sons and five daughters born to Józef Pulaski and Marianna Zielinska.
Source: The English Wikipedia
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