Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus is one of the most famous European explorers. Born in Italy in 1451, Columbus began traveling at an early age. He believed he could find Asia by traveling west across the ocean.

Needing funding for his voyages, he presented his plans to King John II of Portugal. However, his request was denied. He continued pleading with the kings of Portugal, France, and England to fund his travels, but his requests were still denied. Finally, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to fund his voyage in hopes of finding wealth. Columbus set sail in 1492 on the famous ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.

During his first voyage, Columbus discovered the New World by mistake. He meant to find a western route to Asia, but instead, he discovered the land of the Bahamas. He called the native people Indies, which meant "Indian" in Spanish. Columbus sailed on three more voyages and discovered more land, but he never found the riches he had hoped for. Up until his death, Columbus thought he had discovered a new land near Asia.

By Viajes_de_colon.svg: Phirosiberiaderivative work: Phirosiberia (Viajes_de_colon.svg) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons