Guam Discovery Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Guam

Guam, a United States organised unincorporated territory, is situated in the Micronesian region of the Pacific Ocean. The island's inhabitants have endured centuries of colonisation.

Guam Discovery Day occurs annually on the first Monday of March and will occur on March 6 this year. The holiday commemorates the day the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed on Guam for the first time and marks the beginning of “Mes Chamorro” (or Chamorro Heritage Month). The celebration is held in the village of Umatac and highlights the Chamorro people’s rich heritage through heritage walking tours and a theatrical recreation of the explorer’s arrival on the island. This day encourages the citizens of Guam to honour and celebrate the island’s rich history and heritage.

The background of Guam Discovery Day

Guam, a United States organised unincorporated territory, is situated in the Micronesian region of the Pacific Ocean. The island’s inhabitants have endured centuries of colonisation. The original inhabitants of Guam, the Chamorro, arrived on the island between 1500 and 1400 BCE. They remain Guam’s largest ethnic group.

The Spanish took control of the island officially on January 26, 1565. As one of the two Spanish outposts in the Pacific beyond Indonesia, Guam served as a staging area for the fleet of the colonial power.

Discovery Day is celebrated annually on the first Monday of March to commemorate the landing of Portuguese conquistador Magellan on Guam on March 6, 1521. The holiday was first observed in 1970. As time passed, the focus of the holiday shifted from the “discovery” of the already inhabited island to the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people of Guam and the nation’s history. This is precisely why the holiday was renamed Guam History and Chamorro Heritage Day.

Although the holiday commemorates the beginning of Guamanian colonisation, it now serves to honour the Chamorro people in the context of Mes Chamorro. The celebration is held in the village of Umatac and highlights the Chamorro people’s rich heritage through heritage walking tours and a theatrical recreation of Magellan’s arrival on the island.

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5 essential facts about Guam

Guam is home to many Asians, particularly those of Filipino and Korean descent.

Instead of sand, coral covers the beaches of Guam.

Although people born in Guam are considered American citizens, they do not have the right to vote for presidents, nor does the Guam delegate have a vote in congress proceedings.

Guam is approximately a three-and-a-half-hour flight from East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, making it the U.S. territory closest to Asia.

Guam has the highest per capita consumption of SPAM in the world, as reported by “TIME” magazine.