Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. From a young age, he was fascinated by the sea and started sailing on trading trips as a teenager. His early voyages took him to various parts of the Mediterranean and possibly as far as Iceland and West Africa.
In the late 15th century, Columbus developed a plan to reach Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. He believed this route would be shorter and more direct than the traditional overland route through the Middle East. After several years of trying to gain support for his plan, he finally received backing from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain in 1492.
Columbus set sail on August 3, 1492, with three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. On October 12, 1492, he and his crew landed on an island in the Bahamas, which he named San Salvador. Believing he had reached the East Indies, Columbus referred to the native inhabitants as "Indians."
Columbus made a total of four voyages to the New World between 1492 and 1504. During these voyages, he explored parts of the Caribbean, including the islands of Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Cuba, and Jamaica, as well as the coast of Central and South America. Despite his belief that he had found a new route to Asia, Columbus had actually discovered a land previously unknown to Europeans.
Columbus's voyages had a profound impact on world history. They led to the widespread awareness of the Americas in Europe and paved the way for the extensive exploration and colonization that followed. However, his encounters with the indigenous peoples were marked by violence, exploitation, and the spread of diseases that devastated native populations.
Columbus died on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain. Although he never fully understood the significance of his discoveries, Columbus's expeditions opened the door to the Age of Exploration and had lasting effects on the course of world history.
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