Christopher Columbus - Biography of the Explorer Christopher Columbus A Biography of the Explorer of the Americas The Columbus Monument in Barcelona. Mehmet Salih Guler/The Image Bank/Getty Images By Amanda Briney, Contributing Writer Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa (located in Italy today) in 1451 to Domenico Colombo, a middle class wool-weaver, and Susanna Fontanarossa. Though little is known about his childhood, it is apparent that he was well-educated because he was able to speak several languages as an adult and had considerable knowledge of classical literature. In addition, he studied the works of Ptolemy and Marinus to name a few. Columbus first took to the sea when he was 14 years old and this continued throughout his younger life. During the 1470s, he went on numerous trading trips that took him to the Aegean Sea, Northern Europe, and possibly Iceland. In 1479, he met his brother Bartolomeo, a mapmaker, in Lisbon. He later married Filipa Moniz Perestrello and in 1480, his son Diego was born.

The family stayed in Lisbon until 1485, when Columbus' wife Filipa died. From there, Columbus and Diego moved to Spain where he began trying to obtain a grant to explore western trade routes. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge He believed that because the earth was sphere, a ship could reach the Far East and set up trading routes in Asia by sailing west. For years, Columbus proposed his plans to the Portuguese and Spanish kings, but he was turned down each time. Finally, after the Moors were expelled from Spain in 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella reconsidered his requests. Columbus promised to bring back gold, spices, and silk from Asia, spread Christianity, and explore China. He then asked to be admiral of the seas and governor of discovered lands. Columbus' First Voyage After receiving significant funding from the Spanish monarchs, Columbus set sail on August 3, 1492 with three ships, the Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria, and 104 men. After a short stop at the Canary Islands to resupply and make minor repairs, the ships set out across the Atlantic.

This voyage took five weeks - much longer than Columbus expected, as he thought the world was smaller than it is. During this time, many of the crew members contracted diseases and died, or died from hunger and thirst. Finally, at 2 a.m. on October 12, 1492, Rodrigo de Triana, sighted land in area of the present-day Bahamas. When Columbus reached the land, he believed it was an Asian island and named it San Salvador. Because he did not find riches, Columbus decided to continue sailing in search of China. Instead, he ended up visiting Cuba and Hispaniola. On November 21, 1492, the Pinta and its crew left to explore on its own. Then on Christmas Day , Columbus' Santa Maria wrecked off the coast of Hispaniola. Because there was limited space on the lone Nina, Columbus had to leave about 40 men behind at a fort they named Navidad. Soon after, Columbus set sail for Spain, where he arrived on March 15, 1493, completing his first voyage west.

Columbus' Second Voyage After the success of finding this new land, Columbus set sail west again on September 23, 1493 with 17 ships and 1,200 men. The purpose of this journey was to establish colonies in the name of Spain, check on the crew at Navidad, and continue his search for riches in what he still thought was the Far East. On November 3, the crew members sighted land and found three more islands, Dominica, Guadeloupe, and Jamaica, which Columbus thought were islands off of Japan. Because there were still no riches there, they went on to Hispaniola, only to discover that the fort of Navidad had been destroyed and his crew killed after they mistreated the indigenous population. At the site of the fort Columbus established the colony of Santo Domingo and after a battle in 1495, he conquered the entire island of Hispaniola. He then set sail for Spain in March 1496, and arrived in Cadiz on July 31. Columbus' Third Voyage Columbus’s third voyage began on May 30, 1498 and took a more southern route than the previous two.

Still looking for China, he found Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Margarita, on July 31. He also reached the mainland of South America . On August 31, he returned to Hispaniola and found the colony of Santo Domingo there in shambles. After a government representative was sent to investigate the problems in 1500, Columbus was arrested and sent back to Spain. He arrived in October and was able to successfully defend himself against the charges of treating both the locals and Spaniards poorly. Columbus' Fourth and Final Voyage and Death Columbus' final voyage began on May 9, 1502 and he arrived in Hispaniola in June. Once there, he was forbidden from entering the colony so he continued to explore further. On July 4, he set sail again and later found Central America. In January 1503, he reached Panama and found a small amount of gold but was forced out of the area by those who lived there. After numerous problems and a year of waiting on Jamaica after his ships had problems, Columbus set sail for Spain on November 7, 1504. When he arrived there, he settled with his son in Seville.

After Queen Isabella died on November 26, 1504, Columbus tried to regain his governorship of Hispaniola. In 1505, the king allowed him to petition but did nothing. One year later, Columbus became ill and died on May 20, 1506. Columbus' Legacy Because of his discoveries, Columbus is often venerated in areas around the world, but notably in the Americas with his name on places (such as the District of Columbia) and the celebration of Columbus Day every year on the second Monday in October. Despite this fame however, Columbus was not the first to visit the Americas.* His major contribution to geography is that he was the first to visit, settle, and stay in these new lands, effectively bringing a new area or the world into the forefront of the geographic thought of the time. --- * Long before Columbus, various indigenous peoples had settled and explored different areas of the Americas. In addition, Norse explorers visited portions of North America. Leif Ericson is believed to have been the first European to visit the area and set up a settlement in the northern portion of Canada's Newfoundland some 500 years before the arrival of Columbus. Where was Christopher Columbus born?

- Quora Quora Although it is disputed by some, it is widely accepted that Christopher Columbus was born in or around Genoa. The discussion page in the Wikipedia article lists all the evidence: Written Nov 5 History books say Columbus was born somewhere near Genoa (Italy) in 1451, but there also said that he was Jewish, Aragonese, Galician, Majorcan, or from La Mancha. Adding to the confusion, in recent published books this last decades they sugested that Colón was even a woman. It is paradoxical that we know so little about such an important character. Today, several Spanish regions dispute his origins. All we know for sure is that he have being sailing since the age of 18, knew well the Atlantic, from Iceland to Guinea, and wrecked in Portugal in 1476, where he married at least once and had a vague offspring. Colombo, Colón, Colom and Colonne are some of the names associated with the "discovering" of America.

For over 500 years, there have been various theories that make him native of Genoa, Savona, Milan, Corsica, Galicien, Portugal, Castile, Greece and even Norway. Some place the birthplace of Columbus in different parts of Catalonia, Mallorca and even Ibiza also disputed. That is, the great navigator is the man most disputed in history. However, he could be born only in one place. Which one was it? It´s still a mystery although it may soon we´ll categorically establish his origin, if we are lucky. September last year in Seville, the remains of Diego Colón (his brother) were exhumed (the rests remained in the premises of the factory in Seville, La Cartuja-Pickmann). Although it seems that the bones of Diego Columbus are very deteriorated, researchers want to compare their nuclear DNA with the discoveret and those of his son Hernando Columbus, buried in the Cathedral of Seville. So Seville also competes with the famous Columbus Lighthouse in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, as being the last home of the discoverer.

The tests will determine precisely the truly Columbus, and may confirm if the admiral was a bastard son of the Prince of Viana, and clarify once and for all whether his origin is Portuguese, Mallorcan, Catalan or Galician and not “Genovés” as the official biography pretends. Where Was Christopher Columbus Born Where Was Christopher Columbus Born 21 Mar, 2008 Where was 1 Christopher Columbus was a navigator, colonizer and explorer who was instrumental in bringing Spanish colonization to the Americas. While he was not the first European to reach the Americas, he was the first to make Europe fully aware of the Americas. But where was Christopher Columbus born? This article will answer exactly that question and also look at three interesting facts about Christopher Columbus. Where Was Christopher Columbus Born There are many alternate theories about where Christopher Columbus was born. The general consensus of historians is that Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. Many historical documents written by Christopher Columbus indicate that he was born in Genoa. There are even some legal documents that show that Columbus is of Genoese origin of Columbus, as well as his father Domenico and his brothers.

One of these legal documents is Christopher Columbus’ will which stated (when translated to English) ‘I was born in Genoa’. However, some historians (and conspiracy theorists) have suggested that Christopher Columbus was born elsewhere. These historians point to inaccuracies in legal and historical documents. These have led some people to believe that Christopher Columbus was born in Portugal, Spain or Greece. Some believe he was a spy for King John II of Portugal, changed his name to Christopher Columbus and faked his Genoese birth. The evidence for these alternate theories is limited and nearly all historians agree that Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. So now you know the answer to the question where was Christopher Columbus born. Now let’s look at three interesting facts about Christopher Columbus. Three Facts about Christopher Columbus Fact 1: Columbus Day is celebrated every year in Spain and in the Americas to celebrate Christopher Columbus’ first voyage. However, Christopher Columbus only found American mainland on his third voyage in 1498. Fact 2: All through his life, Columbus thought his voyages had been along the east coast of Asia. Fact 3: In his writings, Columbus claimed that that he first went to sea when he was just 10 years of age.

1 Christopher Columbus | Italian explorer | Britannica.com Christopher Columbus Alternative Titles: Cristóbal Colón, Cristoforo Colombo Christopher Columbus Vasco Núñez de Balboa Christopher Columbus, Italian Cristoforo Colombo, Spanish Cristóbal Colón (born between August 26 and October 31?, 1451, Genoa [Italy]—died May 20, 1506, Valladolid, Spain), master navigator and admiral whose four transatlantic voyages (1492–93, 1493–96, 1498–1500, and 1502–04) opened the way for European exploration, exploitation, and colonization of the Americas. He has long been called the “discoverer” of the New World, although Vikings such as Leif Eriksson had visited North America five centuries earlier. Columbus made his transatlantic voyages under the sponsorship of Ferdinand II and Isabella I , the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon , Castile , and Leon in Spain .

He was at first full of hope and ambition, an ambition partly gratified by his title “Admiral of the Ocean Sea,” awarded to him in April 1492, and by the grants enrolled in the Book of Privileges (a record of his titles and claims). However, he died a disappointed man. Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus. © iStockphoto/Thinkstock The period between the quatercentenary celebrations of Columbus’s achievements in 1892–93 and the quincentenary ones of 1992 saw great advances in Columbus scholarship. Numerous books about Columbus appeared in the 1990s, and the insights of archaeologists and anthropologists began to complement those of sailors and historians. This effort gave rise to considerable debate. There was also a major shift in approach and interpretation; the older pro-European understanding gave way to one shaped from the perspective of the inhabitants of the Americas themselves.

According to the older understanding, the “discovery” of the Americas was a great triumph, one in which Columbus played the part of hero in accomplishing the four voyages, in being the means of bringing great material profit to Spain and to other European countries, and in opening up the Americas to European settlement. The more recent perspective, however, has concentrated on the destructive side of the European conquest, emphasizing, for example, the disastrous impact of the slave trade and the ravages of imported disease on the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean region and the American continents. The sense of triumph has diminished accordingly, and the view of Columbus as hero has now been replaced, for many, by one of a man deeply flawed. While this second perception rarely doubts Columbus’s sincerity or abilities as a navigator, it emphatically removes him from his position of honour. Political activists of all kinds have intervened in the debate, further hindering the reconciliation of these disparate views. Life EU Considers Rules For Robots Early career and preparation for the first voyage Little is known of Columbus’s early life.

The vast majority of scholars, citing Columbus’s testament of 1498 and archival documents from Genoa and Savona , believe that he was born in Genoa to a Christian household; however, it has been claimed that he was a converted Jew or that he was born in Spain , Portugal , or elsewhere. Columbus was the eldest son of Domenico Colombo, a Genoese wool worker and merchant, and Susanna Fontanarossa, his wife. His career as a seaman began effectively in the Portuguese merchant marine. After surviving a shipwreck off Cape Saint Vincent at the southwestern point of Portugal in 1476, he based himself in Lisbon , together with his brother Bartholomew . Both were employed as chart makers, but Columbus was principally a seagoing entrepreneur . In 1477 he sailed to Iceland and Ireland with the merchant marine, and in 1478 he was buying sugar in Madeira as an agent for the Genoese firm of Centurioni. In 1479 he met and married Felipa Perestrello e Moniz, a member of an impoverished noble Portuguese family. Their son, Diego , was born in 1480.

Between 1482 and 1485 Columbus traded along the Guinea and Gold coasts of tropical West Africa and made at least one voyage to the Portuguese fortress of São Jorge da Mina (now Elmina, Ghana ) there, gaining knowledge of Portuguese navigation and the Atlantic wind systems along the way. Felipa died in 1485, and Columbus took as his mistress Beatriz Enríquez de Harana of Córdoba, by whom he had his second son, Ferdinand (born c. 1488). Christopher Columbus with his sons, Diego and Ferdinand, and a woman, engraving by I. Stockdale, … Prints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. LC-USZ62-106029) In 1484 Columbus began seeking support for an Atlantic crossing from King John II of Portugal but was denied aid. (Some conspiracy theorists have alleged that Columbus made a secret pact with the monarch, but there is no evidence of this.) By 1486 Columbus was firmly in Spain, asking for patronage from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

After at least two rejections, he at last obtained royal support in January 1492. This was achieved chiefly through the interventions of the Spanish treasurer, Luis de Santángel, and of the Franciscan friars of La Rábida, near Huelva , with whom Columbus had stayed in the summer of 1491. Juan Pérez of La Rábida had been one of the queen’s confessors and perhaps procured him the crucial audience. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Editor Picks: Exploring 10 Types of Basketball Movies Christian missionary and anti-Islamic fervour, the power of Castile and Aragon, the fear of Portugal, the lust for gold, the desire for adventure, the hope of conquests, and Europe’s genuine need for a reliable supply of herbs and spices for cooking, preserving, and medicine all combined to produce an explosion of energy that launched the first voyage. Columbus had been present at the siege of Granada , which was the last Moorish stronghold to fall to Spain (January 2, 1492), and he was in fact riding back from Granada to La Rábida when he was recalled to the Spanish court and the vital royal audience.

Granada’s fall had produced euphoria among Spanish Christians and encouraged designs of ultimate triumph over the Islamic world , albeit chiefly, perhaps, by the back way round the globe. A direct assault eastward could prove difficult, because the Ottoman Empire and other Islamic states in the region had been gaining strength at a pace that was threatening the Christian monarchies themselves. The Islamic powers had effectively closed the land routes to the East and made the sea route south from the Red Sea extremely hard to access. Christopher Columbus requesting support from Isabella I and Ferdinand II of Spain, chromolithograph … Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

(LC-DIG-pga-03133) Human Exploration: From Earth to Space In the letter that prefaces his journal of the first voyage, the admiral vividly evokes his own hopes and binds them all together with the conquest of the infidel, the victory of Christianity, and the westward route to discovery and Christian alliance: …and I saw the Moorish king come out of the gates of the city and kiss the royal hands of Your Highnesses…and Your Highnesses, as Catholic Christians…took thought to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the said parts of India, to see those princes and peoples and lands…and the manner which should be used to bring about their conversion to our holy faith, and ordained that I should not go by land to the eastward, by which way it was the custom to go, but by way of the west, by which down to this day we do not know certainly that anyone has passed; therefore, having driven out all the Jews from your realms and lordships in the same month of January, Your Highnesses commanded me that, with a sufficient fleet, I should go to the said parts of India, and for this accorded me great rewards and ennobled me so that from

 that time henceforth I might style myself “Don” and be high admiral of the Ocean Sea and viceroy and perpetual Governor of the islands and continent which I should discover…and that my eldest son should succeed to the same position, and so on from generation to generation forever.

Christopher Columbus (second from right) planning his expedition to the New World. © iStockphoto/Thinkstock Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Thus a great number of interests were involved in this adventure, which was, in essence, the attempt to find a route to the rich land of Cathay ( China ), to India , and to the fabled gold and spice islands of the East by sailing westward over what was presumed to be open sea. Columbus himself clearly hoped to rise from his humble beginnings in this way, to accumulate riches for his family, and to join the ranks of the nobility of Spain. In a similar manner, but at a more exalted level, the Catholic Monarchs hoped that such an enterprise would gain them greater status among the monarchies of Europe, especially against their main rival, Portugal. Then, in alliance with the papacy (in this case, with the Borgia pope Alexander VI [1492–1503]), they might hope to take the lead in the Christian war against the infidel. At a more elevated level still, Franciscan brethren were preparing for the eventual end of the world, as they believed was prophesied in the Revelation to John .

According to that eschatological vision, Christendom would recapture Jerusalem and install a Christian emperor in the Holy Land as a precondition for the coming and defeat of Antichrist , the Christian conversion of the whole human race, and the Last Judgment . Franciscans and others hoped that Columbus’s westward project would help to finance a Crusade to the Holy Land that might even be reinforced by, or coordinated with, offensives from the legendary ruler Prester John , who was thought to survive with his descendants in the lands to the east of the infidel. The emperor of Cathay—whom Europeans referred to as the Great Khan of the Golden Horde —was himself held to be interested in Christianity, and Columbus carefully carried a letter of friendship addressed to him by the Spanish monarchs. Finally, the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias was known to have pressed southward along the coast of West Africa, beyond São Jorge da Mina, in an effort to find an easterly route to Cathay and India by sea. It would never do to allow the Portuguese to find the sea route first. Page 1 of 3 What Are Some Facts About Christopher Columbus?

He went by Cristóbal Colón after he moved to Spain in 1485. His parents' names were Domenico Colombo, a wool weaver, and Susanna Fontanarossa. He had three brothers - Bartolomeo, Giovanni Pellegrino and Giacomo - and a sister named Bianchinetta. His family was not wealthy; so, he did not receive the education of the wealthy. He supported himself by selling maps and charts early on in his life. He was only 14 years old when he began working on ships. Education Since Christopher Columbus was born in the port city of Genoa, it is not surprising that he became a navigator . Although he was largely self-taught through reading, he attended Prince Henry's School of Navigation in Portugal. Family Life In 1479 he married Felipa Perestrello e Monis, the daughter of a wealthy Portuguese family. They had one child together: a boy named Diego. His wife died of consumption only six years after they were married. In 1487 he took a mistress in Spain named Beatriz Enriquez de Arana. She was a 20-year old orphan.

She and Columbus had a son, but never married. Travels In 1470, at the age of 19, he played a prominent role on a Genoese sailing ship that had the goal of conquering Naples. In 1474, at the age of 23, he was hired as a sailor on a ship going to the island of Khíos in the Aegean Sea . He spent a year on the island and came back to Italy financially independent. After that, he received a lot of experience navigating the Atlantic Ocean sailing out of Lisbon, Portugal. Columbus Goes to the Americas His claim to fame is a series of voyages that made Europeans aware of the Americas, which led to colonization . Bartholomew, his brother the map maker, inspired him to make the famous voyage to the Americas by sailing west across the Atlantic instead of the more traditional land route to Asia. All four of the voyages of Christopher Columbus were across the Atlantic Ocean to Central and South America and the islands of the Caribbean. The voyages were funded by the Catholic King and Queen of Spain who wanted to colonize the New World and establish profitable trade routes to Asia.

Voyage #1 - Columbus and the Passage to the West King John II of Portugal refused a request from Columbus to support his journey westward, feeling that the distance involved had been underestimated by Columbus. After two years of negotiations, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile (both were kingdoms of Spain) agreed to provide half of the financing Columbus needed to search for a route to the East, even though they also felt that he had underestimated the distance. He had already gotten half of what he needed from private Italian investors. Columbus had miscalculated the distance for the new western passage. He thought that only 2,300 miles separated the Canary Islands from Japan, which would allow for sufficient provisions to be carried on the ship. The actual distance is closer to 12,000 miles. Part of the bargain he struck with the Spanish court was: If he discovered any islands or lands, he would be richly rewarded when he returned. He would be given the rank of Admiral of the Ocean Sea. He would be made Viceroy and Governor of all the new lands. He would receive 10% of any revenues the lands produced.

If any industries were established, he would be allowed to purchase a 1/8 interest and receive 1/8 of the profit. Getting a crew together was very difficult, since people thought that the Earth was flat and they were sure they would sail off of the end of the world. This first voyage of Columbus as the captain began on August 3, 1492 and ended in 1496. He left from Spain with three ships, the Pinta, Nina, and Santa Maria. Columbus and about 40 men manned the Santa Maria, with between 20 and 30 men on each of the other two ships. One the day Columbus set sail he wrote in his diary I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone. They did not take soldiers, priests, or settlers because this was primarily a voyage of exploration. Columbus took enough provisions for a year including: Water Pearls Spices After seven days he had sailed to the Canary Islands and stopped for provisions and repairs. On September 6th he set out for the Indies.

At 2 o’clock on the morning of October 12, 1492 a lookout on the Pinta named Rodrigo de Triana shouted, “Tierra, Tierra” which translates as “Land, Land.” The trip had taken 36 days and the weary crew stepped foot on a new land. Soon, the natives that lived there greeted Columbus and his crew. It is not certain which island Columbus landed on in the Bahamas, but most think it was San Salvador or Samana Cay. The natives were eager to trade and the Spaniards, thinking they had found the Indies, called the natives Indians. He also explored some of Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. On Christmas Day 1492, the Santa Maria ran aground and was abandoned. Columbus went back to Spain on January 15, 1493, leaving 39 men in the settlement he founded which he called La Navidad. When he got back to Spain, he gave Ferdinand and Isabella some gold nuggets and jewelry and told them he thought he had found islands that were close to Japan or China.

Voyage #2 - Columbus and Dominica Columbus set out later that same year, 1493, with instructions from the King and Queen to establish friendly relations with the native people. He arrived at Dominica on November 3, 1493 and after exploring for a while, went on to the Greater Antilles, landing in Puerto Rico. On November 22, Columbus traveled to La Navidad to find that his men, who he had left their eleven months before, had been killed. He established a new settlement on the coast of Hispaniola called Isabella. Later he revisited Cuba and explored Jamaica. In 1495, Columbus enslaved 560 people against the wishes of the King and Queen. He shipped them to Spain. Around 200 died on the trip and half of the rest were ill. They arrived in Spain in 1496. This was the beginning of slavery for the Spanish in the New World. Voyage #3 - Columbus and Trinidad and South America Christopher Columbus believed his voyages were taking him to China but where they took him was not even close. His third voyage started in 1498 and ended in 1500.

He landed in Trinidad on July 31, 1498. He went on the explore South America and some of the islands. He returned to Hispaniola in 1500 to find the settlers there were not happy because they felt he lied to them about the abundance of riches. Columbus had been appointed Viceroy and Governor of the Indies but he was not able to handle the post, partly because of bad health. He asked for help in governing and Bobadilla was appointed. Because of complaints, Bobadilla arrested Columbus in 1500 and soon sent him back to Spain. He was jailed for six weeks before he was released. Voyage #4 - Columbus and Martinique and Central America Columbus landed in Martinique on June 15, 1502 but soon continued on because a hurricane was coming. He was denied port at Santo Domingo and went on to the mouth of the Jaina River. Soon he explored the islands off the coast of Honduras and later, went on to Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama. He and his men became stranded in Jamaica and stayed there a year because the governor of Hispaniola would not help him.

Columbus and his men then returned to Spain on November 7, 1504. Christopher Columbus went to the Americas and back to Spain four times between 1492 and 1504. These trips marked the beginning of exploration and colonization of the American continents by the people of Europe. During all four voyages, Christopher Columbus continued to believe that the islands of the Caribbean were part of the Asian continent. He believed that it was only a matter of time before he found the passage to Asia. It is possible that because he refused to accept that these lands were not part of Asia, that they were named for Amerigo Vespucci and not him. Controversy: Value of Columbus' Discoveries There is a controversy about the value of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the Americas. Some people contest that he destroyed what was already happening in America at the time, while others will say that he brought new life and prosperity to the land. The controversy hinges over these factors: Columbus created untrue impressions - Many researchers think that Christopher Columbus was to blame for establishing the idea that the Native Americans were barbaric.

Columbus was not the first European to reach the American continent - Norse Vikings had traveled throughout northern Africa, eastern Europe, and the Middle East in the 900s. In 986, Bjarni Herjolfsson was sailing from Norway to Iceland and then on to Greenland. On the way, a storm blew him off track and he saw a land with hills and forests. Word of the new land spread, so in the year 1000, Leif Eriksson set out with 35 men to sail to this new land. They made it to northeastern Canada and spent the winter there before returning home. They discovered North America, but their discovery did not lead to colonization like Columbus’ discovery did. Columbus went down in history and didn’t even do what he had intended to do. Columbus was not the first man to chart the American continent - The man for whom the continent was named - Amerigo Vespucci - charted the area and landed here right around the same time as Columbus. Columbus had harsh methods - When he arrived, he started to control all of the land.

He wanted to shape the Americas into a European society, and he did not want to necessarily integrate many of the Native American practices into his new society. In fact, he would kill - or have his men - kill the Natives if he felt that they were being too unruly. Columbus forced Christianity upon the peoples. They claim that the people did not need Christianity, and they were fine with their tribal religions that they had practiced for many, many years. Those who see Columbus as a hero believe that: Columbus found land previously unknown to the Europeans - When Columbus came to the Americas, he found land that had been previously unknown to many of the Europeans. Whether or not he "discovered" America, does not necessarily affect what else he did for this country. Columbus introduced European ideas to the Americas - Had Columbus not landed in the Americas, a number of European innovations, ideas, and theories would not have arrived here at the time that they did. Of course, one could argue that they would have arrived at some other time. However, if that were so, we might not be as advanced as we are today, if these ideas and achievements did not appear for another few hundred years or so.

Columbus brought Christianity with him - No matter how much the comparatively small group of non religious people want to fight it, the United States was built upon the ideals of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Therefore, Columbus brought over tenets that would strongly influence the history of the country. Columbus introduced technology - Before Columbus arrived, there had been little change in America for thousands of years. People were primarily hunters and gatherers, traveling across the scope of the land and often engaging in bloody wars with one another. Columbus brought the technologies, achievements, and innovations of people such as Aristotle , Newton , and Galileo . Facts, Opinions and Recognition for Columbus A famous rhyme says "In fourteen hundred and ninety two/the history books all say/Columbus sailed the ocean blue/and discovered Americay-ya-yay/and discovered Americay!" Columbus was not the first person to say that the Earth was not flat. The credit of that theory belongs to Aristotle. Columbus was addicted to opium. No authentic portrait of Christopher Columbus exists. Columbus Day is observed on October 12 in Spain and other some places in the Americas. In the United States, it is observed on the second Monday in October.

Many streets and cities have been named after Columbus, and many monuments have been built in his honor. In 1893, 400 years after his first voyage, Columbus’ likeness was placed on a U.S. postage stamp. Quotes By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination. Riches don't make a man rich, they only make him busier. I should be judged as a captain who went from Spain to the Indies to conquer a people numerous and warlike, whose manners and religion are very different from ours, who live in sierras and mountains, without fixed settlements, and where by divine will I have placed under the sovereignty of the King and Queen our Lords, an Other World, whereby Spain, which was reckoned poor, is become the richest of countries. Final Years As Columbus aged, he became extremely religious. Columbus died in Spain at the age of 55 of Reiter's Syndrome . For a time perspective of the details of Christopher Columbus' life, check out the Christopher Columbus Timeline on YourDictionary.

Christopher Columbus and the uncertainty of his birth place Contacts Christopher Columbus and the uncertainty of his birth place Cristóvão Colombo, Cristobal Colón, Cristoforo Colombo. Portugal, Spain and Italy, they all claim to be the country where the sailor, to whom is given America discovery, was from . For Americans he's simply Christofer Columbus, the hero (or villain) that sailed his ships, leaded by the Santa Maria, towards the discovery of their New World. Most of the information we can find on the internet refers to a Genovese Columbus, son of a family of weavers and cheesemongers, who lived in Italy until the age of 18. The lack of support of the Italian kings is pointed out as being the main reason that made him head to the Iberian Peninsula. But this story goes much further... Antonio Gramsci , Italian politician and philosopher from the 19th century, says that the birth place of Columbus in one point of Europe instead of another is what matters the least, the sailor himself always affirmed not to have any bonds with Italy. From the 15th century up until the French Revolution, the essence of the Italian genius lays on its European dimension.

According Gramsci's practical point of view, it's definitely easier to take this situation as being European, as it concerns all Europe after all. Or southern Europe, for those who find this European dimension fair. When we think about this, we shouldn't forget which roles both Portugal and Spain had, we shouldn't forget that we were sharing almost the same language, the same aims on the Discoveries , the same religion, and the same world. Remember Tordesilhas treaty ? Yes, in some point in world's history, there was a line that divided the globe (or what was known about it back then) into two halfs. So, even though I'm not an expert in these matters, I cannot consider some arguments and statements I've been reading. For instance, the way the name of the sailor is written doesn't prove his nationality. If in some documents it's written Cristobal Colón and in others the form Cristoban or Cristóvão is used doesn't mean we're talking about different personalities, as well as it doesn't say anything clear about his nationality. But we cannot overlook the theory that Columbus was Portuguese. And the controversy is old.

It's been almost a century since Portuguese historian, Patrocinio Ribeiro, wrote a book where he claimed that the adventurer was born in Portugal. More precisely in Cuba , in the Alentejo region of Portugal, where we can see a statue of him (on the left). One of the arguments behind this theory is obviously linked to the alleged fact that Columbus named the island south of Florida after his birth place. Quite simple isn't it? This theory, as others that you might know about, was recently underlined by a Portuguese author that wrote a fictional novel where he points out this alleged fact. I am proud of the History of my country, I've studied the adventures of these sailors over and over at school, Portugal had colonies in every continent and thanks to that, the Portuguese language and culture is spread all over the world. If it's true that we were the first getting inside a boat and heading towards the unknown world, then the Spanish, the French, the British, the Germans, the Italians, the Dutch took the same path and found, populated and strengthen their colonies, with the same purposes, with the same nobleness. We all naturally study the same topics with the same enthusiasm.

So, let's see Christopher Columbus as a southern European adventurer...who happened to discover the New Continent. Both Portuguese and Spanish language are spoken there, in a large scale. Both cultures have a huge dimension in central and southern America. If I'm allowed, I'll just keep on waiting for the results of the one thousand researches on this topic still going on at the moment. One thing is for sure: the wife of the great explorer Columbus, Filipa Moniz Perestrelo , was Portuguese born in Porto Santo in the Madeira Archipelago. At least, the majority of the historians says so... OdP's Team

Question: In what modern-day country was Christopher Columbus born?
Answer: Italy