Columbus Reaches the Caribbean — First Voyage
On 12 October 1492 Christopher Columbus, sailing under Castilian commission with three vessels, made landfall on an island in the Bahamas he called San Salvador. Over the following weeks he explored Cuba and Hispaniola, where the Santa María was wrecked on Christmas Day. Columbus returned to Spain in March 1493 believing he had reached islands off the coast of Asia, a conviction he maintained until his death. His voyage was the accidental discovery of a hemisphere unknown to Europeans and set in motion consequences of incalculable magnitude.
- Year: 1492 CE
- Category: Political
