Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) was a Genoese navigator who, sailing under the Spanish crown, made four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that opened lasting contact between Europe and the Americas. Born in Genoa and trained at sea in Mediterranean and Atlantic trade, he spent years seeking support for a plan to reach Asia by sailing west. His turning point came in 1492, when Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain agreed to sponsor the voyage. Leaving Palos with the Niña, the Pinta and the Santa María, he reached an island in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492, then sailed on to Cuba and Hispaniola. Later voyages carried him to Jamaica, Trinidad, the coast of Venezuela and Central America. He died in Valladolid in 1506. The exchange of plants, animals and peoples that followed his voyages reshaped the history of both hemispheres.