Christopher Columbus
Explorer, Map Maker, Discoverer
1492
In 1492, Queen Isabella helped Christopher Columbus try to find a new way to travel to India and China. She provided him 3 boats to use. He sailed west from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean. After a month, his three ships landed in a new world that Europeans never knew existed.
Niña, Pinta, Santa Maria
About Christopher Columbus
He was born in 1451 in Italy. He started sailing at age 14, and read a lot of books by explorers about traveling. He was a very good sailor. After he landed in North America, he returned to Europe. He brought back gifts from the islands, and returned several times to search for gold and riches. He never found them, but he did claim a lot of land for Spain. This is why so many of these places have such a strong link to Spanish culture and language.