Saint Ursula
The first European sighting of the Virgin Islands was by Christopher Columbus in 1493 on his second voyage to the New World. Columbus gave the area the fanciful name "Santa Ursula y Las Islas Once Mil Vírgenes" (Saint Ursula and her 11,000 Virgins), shortened to "Las Vírgenes" (The Virgins), after the legend of Saint Ursula.