'Georgia Day' is the
holiday which the
U.S. state of
Georgia recognizes in honor of its
colonial founding as the
Province of Georgia, a
penal colony. On
February 12,
1733,
James Oglethorpe landed the first
settlers in the
HMS Anne, at what was to become Georgia's first
city (and later the first
state capital),
Savannah. It is not a
public holiday, but is mainly observed in
schools and by some local
civic groups for its
historic importance to the state.