Who was Christopher Columbus?
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer from Genoa who sailed for Spain. In 1492 he reached the Caribbean, starting lasting contact between Europe and the Americas.
Columbus believed he could reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic. After years of searching for support, he was sponsored by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain. He set off in August 1492 with three ships, the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María.
On October 12, 1492, he landed on an island in the Bahamas. He made four voyages in total, visiting Cuba, Hispaniola and the coasts of Central and South America, but he insisted until his death in 1506 that he had reached Asia.
A debated legacy
Columbus's voyages opened the way for European colonization of the Americas. They also brought violence, enslavement and diseases that devastated Indigenous peoples. For this reason, many places now also mark Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Did You Know?
Columbus was not the first European to reach the Americas. Norse explorer Leif Erikson landed in North America around the year 1000.