By Congressional Resolution in 1929 and successive Presidential Proclamations, October 11 is a national day of observance to commemorate the death of General Pulaski. He died on October 11, 1779, from wounds suffered at the Siege of Savannah. The “father of the American cavalry,” he died defending the right of the new nation – the United States of America – to pursue freedom.
There is no federal observance of Pulaski Day. The day is not a federal holiday. However, nearly every President since 1929 has issued an annual proclamation calling for the observance.
Honorary U.S. Citizen
230 years after Pulaski’s death, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed a joint resolution of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives making Pulaski an honorary American citizen. He is one of eight people to be granted honorary United States citizenship. He joins the ranks of Sir Winston Churchill, Raoul Wallenberg, Mother Teresa, the Marquis de Lafayette, Bernardo de Gálvez, and William and Hannah Penn.
State & City Recognition
Several cities and states also celebrate Pulaski Day, but the dates of their observances vary.
Illinois enacted a law on September 13, 1977, to celebrate the birthday of Casimir Pulaski and held the first official Pulaski Day celebrations in 1978. Chicago celebrated its first official Pulaski Day in 1986. On February 26, 1986, Mayor Harold Washington introduced a resolution to designate the first Monday in March General Casimir Pulaski Day, and the City Council approved. Pulaski Day stopped being a holiday for Chicago Public Schools in 2012 as a way to increase the number of days in the school year.
Wisconsin public schools also observe Casimir Pulaski Day, although they do not close for it. Section 118.02 of the Wisconsin Statutes provides that, “…when school is held or, if the day falls on a Saturday or Sunday, on a school day immediately preceding or following the respective day, the day shall be appropriately observed….” The use of “shall” denotes this as a mandatory requirement. Each public school in Wisconsin must observe Casimir Pulaski Day on March 4. How the day is observed allows for some discretion among the schools.
Buffalo, New York also acknowledges a “Pulaski Day,” which is held in the middle of July and is celebrated with an annual parade.
Grand Rapids, Michigan hosts a “Pulaski Days” celebration annually on the first full weekend of October, The celebration recognizes General Pulaski and the Polish culture in general.
200th Anniversary of Pulaski’s Death: 1979
On October 11, 1979, President Jimmy Carter’s office contacted Rick Sutton of the Pulaski County Independent Newspaper to announce the annual proclamation. President Carter’s assistant enclosed the text of the proclamation. It is copied here, complete with handwritten corrections.
Earlier that year, in August, the Pulaski County (IN) Commissioners proclaimed the day, stating:
…whereas, General Pulaski was mortally wounded in the Battle of Savannah and died on October 11, 1779, and the date of his death is annually proclaimed “Pulaski Day” by the President of the United States, and
…whereas, Pulaski County, Indiana, bears the name of this soldier for whom freedom and liberty were paramount ….”
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