Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer.Columbus promised his benefactors, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, to bring back gold, spices, and silks from the Far East, to spread Christianity, and to lead an expedition to China. Why did Queen Isabella agree to support Columbus expedition? King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of […]

Salt River Bay National Historic Park and Ecological Preserve on St. Croix contains the only known site where members of an expedition led by Christopher Columbus set foot on what is now United States territory.On that fateful day of November 14, 1493, Columbus sent a landing party of about two dozen men ashore to St. […]

An Italian explorer, Cristoforo Colombo is of course most famous for his ‘discovery’ of North America. But a recent historical theory suggests that Columbus was not born in Genoa, Italy, and rather was a Portuguese nobleman who adopted the name when he moved to Spain — and DNA from a skeleton might prove it. Was […]

With a crew of 90 men and three ships—the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria—he left from Palos de la Frontera, Spain. Columbus reasoned that since the world is round, he could sail west to reach “the east” (the lucrative lands of India and China).He initially thought his plan was successful and the ships had reached […]

^ Wade, Mary Dodson (2007), Christopher Columbus: Famous Explorer, p. 1507, No pictures of Columbus were painted during his life. People who knew him said he was tall with a long nose, red hair, and light-colored eyes. His hair turned completely white by the time he was 30 years old. Was Columbus a redhead? In […]

The Indian Ocean became one of the great channels of trade between nations. Greek merchants from Egypt exploited the monsoon winds to ensure a swift passage to south India. Who crossed the ocean before Columbus? Leif Eriksson Day commemorates the Norse explorer believed to have led the first European expedition to North America. Nearly 500 […]

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus discovered the ‘New World’ of the Americas on an expedition sponsored by King Ferdinand of Spain in 1492. Who sent Christopher Columbus on his mission? After seven years of trying, he was finally sponsored by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Columbus’ voyage departed in August of 1492 with 87 […]

Columbus continued exploring to the south along the coasts of present-day Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. While there, Columbus and his crew traded for food and gold whenever possible. They encountered several native cultures and observed stone structures as well as maize being cultivated on terraces. Where did Columbus discover on his fourth voyage? On […]

He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he accidentally stumbled upon the Americas. – In 1492, he sailed across the Atlantic from Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta and the Niña ships alongside, hoping to find a new route to India. […]

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer.Columbus promised his benefactors, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain, to bring back gold, spices, and silks from the Far East, to spread Christianity, and to lead an expedition to China. What did Queen Isabella gave to Columbus? Isabella and Ferdinand are known for completing the […]

Columbus Day is a U.S. holiday that commemorates the landing of Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492, and Columbus Day 2021 occurs on Monday, October 11. It was unofficially celebrated in a number of cities and states as early as the 18th century, but did not become a federal holiday until 1937. What states […]

Columbus, city, Bartholomew county, south-central Indiana, U.S., on the East Fork White River, 43 miles (70 km) south of Indianapolis. Founded in 1821 as the county seat, it was named Tiptona for General John Tipton, who had given the land to the county, but a month later it was renamed Columbus. How many cities are […]

Columbus’ contract with the Spanish rulers promised that he could keep 10 percent of whatever riches he found, along with a noble title and the governorship of any lands he should encounter. What was Columbus main purpose for his journey? Columbus wanted to find a new route to India, China, Japan and the Spice Islands. […]

Columbus was tall and lean, and had red hair which turned prematurely white. He had a fair complexion and a somewhat reddish face, with blue eyes and a hawkish nose. Was Columbus a red head? He writes that “His form was tall, above the medium: his face long and his countenance imposing: his nose aquiline: […]

At first, Spain was busy with its Reconquista system—evicting Jews and Muslims out of their territory after centuries of war. Also, their nautical experts were skeptical of Columbus’s plan. So, they rejected him at first too—at least two times, according to historians. Why did Columbus have to wait for Spain help? Columbus waited a total […]