Car manufacturer Henry Ford is often praised for introducing the weekend in the 1920s, but the real history of vacations is a whole other tale. It actually goes all the way back to 1524, when the first recorded two-week vacation was taken by an Italian explorer along the coast of what’s now Rhode Island.
To be precise, Giovanni da Verrazzano arrived in North America on the ship Dauphine, aiming to discover a direct Atlantic route to China and Japan. (He’s frequently recognized as one of the earliest Europeans to reach the New World, exploring from Florida up to Nova Scotia.) In a letter dated July 8, 1524 (known as the Cèllere Codex), addressed to his employer, King Francis I of France, Verrazzano detailed an arduous voyage. The crew endured violent storms, lost multiple ships and men, and lived in constant fear of running into cannibals.
When they finally landed on the shores of present-day Rhode Island, they were met with a vibrant green coastline and friendly locals—the Narragansett Nation. After dropping anchor, Verrazzano was so captivated by the stunning scenery and the Narragansetts’ warmth that he and his crew chose to stay for 15 days to “make the most of the place and recuperate.”
Though he likely didn’t get prior permission from the king for this break, the crew spent the next two weeks relaxing in what would later be dubbed “America’s First Vacationland.” They explored the wilderness before eventually continuing their quest for a direct path to Asia.
Today, the U.S. ranks as the second-worst country globally for paid vacation days, according to a 2022 report by career site Resume.io. Adding to that, Expedia’s recent Vacation Deprivation study revealed that American workers only took an average of 11 vacation days per year—nowhere near two weeks!