Happy Columbus Day, the day we celebrate Christopher Columbus' discovery of the American continents!

Today, Baltimore County government offices, as well as district and circuit courts, will be closed all day. Health clinics, libraries and senior centers will also be closed, and CountyRide vans will not run.

Schools will remain open on a regular schedule.

With the help of History.com, we've also put together five fun facts to share with your friends and family this holiday.

• Most educated people didn't think the world was flat during Columbus' time, but they did think that the Atlantic Ocean was the only thing separating Europe from China. 
• Columbus made four transatlantic voyages to the Caribbean region between 1492 and 1504. He died in 1506, feeling like he never got the credit he deserved for his major discovery.
• Columbus arrived in the New World on Oct. 12, 1492. But Americans celebrate the holiday on the second Monday of October, ensuring that government workers get a three-day weekend.
• The Knights of Columbus, an influential Catholic civic organization, with two active chapters in the Perry Hall area, is largely responsible for convincing Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt to make Columbus Day a national holiday in 1937.
• In many states and cities, Columbus Day has evolved into a celebration of Italian-American heritage. It is also celebrated alternatively as a day for remembering indigenous civilizations throughout the American continent.