Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, embarked on a historic voyage in 1492 with the support of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain after years of seeking funding. He set sail with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, aiming to find a shorter route to Asia.
On October 12, 1492 land was spotted. It was a small island in the Bahamas that Columbus would name San Salvador. He met natives there that he called Indians because he was convinced that he had landed on islands off the coast of East Asia.
fun facts
• In his original calculations, he thought that Asia would be 2,400 miles from Portugal. He was way off. It is actually 10,000 miles away! Not to mention the huge continent in between.
• The sailor who was first to spot land on the voyage would receive a reward. The winner was Rodrigo de Triana who spotted land from the crow's nest of the Pinta.
• Christopher Columbus Columbus was first buried in Spain, however his remains were later moved to Santo Domingo in the new world and then back, again, to Spain.
three ships and a long voyage
Biography
Christopher Columbus is the explorer who is credited for discovering America. Of course, there were already people living in America at the time who we call Native Americans.