The History of the White House Greek Independence Day Celebration

Every year, hundreds of Greeks and Greek Americans attend a special White House event to honor the men and women who fought for Greece’s independence against the Ottomans as well as the bond between the U.S. and Greece.

The Greek Independence Day celebration was first started by President Ronald Reagan in 1986 with the help of Father Alex Karloutsos, ambassador Tom Korologos and Andy Manatos and it has become a White House tradition ever since.

A year later, in 1987, Reagan issued Proclamation 5623 on Greek Independence Day:

Those who framed our Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution whose bicentennial we celebrate this year, drew upon the political and philosophical experience of the ancient Greeks and their followers through the centuries. By joining in the independence celebration of the Greek people, we pay special tribute to the democratic values that we in the United States, together with our friends and allies such as Greece, are committed to defend.

For the last 39 years, Greek Independence Day has became a constant item on the White House official calendar. George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have all hosted the event.

The history behind Greek Independence Day at The White House

To learn how the event started, watch our interviews on the history of Greek Independence Day at the White House with Andy Manatos, Mike Manatos and the late ambassador Tom Korologos below:

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