Christopher Columbus (l. 1451-1506 CE, also known as Cristoffa Corombo in Ligurian and Cristoforo Colombo in Italian) was a Genoese explorer (identified as Italian) who became famous in his own time as the man who discovered the New World and, since the 19th century CE, is credited with the discovery of North America, specifically the region comprising the United States.
More about: Christopher ColumbusDefinition
Timeline
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1451 - 1506Life of the Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus.
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1460The Santa Maria is launched in Pontevedra in Galicia, northern Spain. It will be Christopher Columbus' flagship when he sails to the Americas in 1492.
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1492 - 1493First Voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World in three ships in an attempt to establish maritime trade routes to the East.
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17 Apr 1492Christopher Columbus and the monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile sign the Capitulations of Santa Fe granting Columbus the title of admiral and promising him 10% of whatever valuables he might find on his voyages. In October 1492, Columbus landed in the Bahamas, beginning the colonization of the Americas.
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1493 - 1496Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World in 17 ships to colonize the region.
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9 Jan 1493Christopher Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids, writing in his journal that they are "not half as beautiful as they are painted" as he was sailing off the coast of Hispaniola (modern Dominican Republic).
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15 Feb 1493Christopher Columbus writes his famous "open letter" while aboard his ship *Nina*, describing the New World and announcing that the lands of the "Indies" (Caribbean islands) had been claimed for Spain. The letter was published in Barcelona, Spain in April of 1493, providing people with the first written description of the New World.
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6 Jan 1494The first Mass is celebrated in the New World during Christopher Columbus' second voyage, at La Isabela, Hispaniola (modern-day Dominican Republic).
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1498 - 1500Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World to find a passage to the East; South and Central America are identified.
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1502 - 1504Fourth Voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World; Spanish colonies now operating fully without him, systemic exploitation of indigenous people has become policy.
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29 Feb 1504Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica on his fourth voyage to the New World, tricks the Taino people into continuing to provide him with supplies by using his knowledge of a coming eclipse to tell them that, if they did not continue to support him, his God would be angry and take away the moon. When they saw the moon disappear, the Taino/Arawak promised to continue supporting him and Columbus "brought back" the moon. The event is often given as 1 March 1504, but this claim is untenable.
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9 Sep 1791Washington, District of Columbia. is named by three commissioners overseeing the capital's construction in honor of George Washington, the first president of the United States, and Christopher Columbus who was erroneously believed to have "discovered" North America.
