Christopher Columbus
Bio
Bio
- Columbus' father
- was a weaver in the busy city of Genoa, Italy. Columbus would help his
- hardworking father weave cloths to be delivered to people in northern Italy.
- Since the roads in northern Italy were bad, Columbus and his father would
- usually go by boat. Columbus really loved this.
What was Columbus good at?-
- By the time he was in his
- twenties, he had already made voyages by sea to North Africa, Greece and
- Portugal. He could sail by himself by then, but he could not become the master
- mariner he wanted to be. This was because he could not read or write, and
- therefore, he could not read a map and navigate a ship. Not being able to read
- or write was common in Columbus' day.
Who financed Columbus trip?-
- A battle ensued, and Columbus' ship
- was destroyed. Although he was slightly wounded, Columbus drifted on a piece of
- floating timber to get to Portugal, which was six miles away. The kind people of
- Portugal led Columbus to Lisbon, where his brother, Bartholomew, worked as a
- chart maker.This changed Columbus' life, because this gave him the chance to
- complete his education in Portugal. At this time, Portugal was a great seafaring
- country. Columbus learned Latin, Spanish, mathematics and navigation.
How many ships set sail?-Sailed with 17 ships.
Vasco de Gama
At the time - what was this equilivent to?-To reach India.
What year did he set sail?-1497-1498.
How did he sail from Brazil to Africa?-A second voyage, involving 13 ships and 1,200 men, was immediately dispatched under Pedro Alvares Cabral to secure the sea route to India, and the fleet reached Calicut in under six months.
What was he first to do?-asco da Gama was the first European to open a sea-based trade route to India. In an epic voyage, he sailed around Africa's Cape of Good Hope and succeeded in breaking the monopoly of Arab and Venetian spice traders.
Magellans
What was his first taste of travel?-In his mid-20s, Magellan joined a Portuguese fleet that was sailing to East Africa. He soon found himself at the Battle of Diu, in which the Portuguese destroyed Egyptian ships in the Arabian Sea.
Where did he get his financing?-A determined man, he overcame personal obstacles, mutinies, uncharted seas and biting hunger and malnutrition during the course of his voyage. Today, his name is synonymous with discovery and exploration.