Columbus, Christopher (Spanish Cristobal
Colon).
1451-1506. World: 1492 to San Salvador
Island, Cuba, and Haiti; 1493-96 to
Guadaloupe, Montserrat, Antigua, Puerto Rico,
and Jamaica; 1498 to Trinidad and the
mainland of South America; 1502-04 to
Honduras and Nicaragua. Born in Genoa,
Columbus went to sea at an early age, and
settled in Portugal 1478. Believing that Asia
could be reached by sailing westward, he
eventually won the support of King Ferdinand
and Queen Isabella of Spain and on 3 Aug 1492
sailed from Palos with three small ships, the
Nina, the Pinta, and his flagship the Santa
Maria. On 12 Oct land was sighted, probably
Watling Island (now San Salvador Island), and
within a few weeks he reached Cuba and Haiti,
returning to Spain in Mar 1493. After his
third voyage in 1498, he became involved in
quarrels among the colonists sent to Haiti,
and in 1500 the governor sent him back to
Spain in chains. Released and compensated by
the king, he made his last voyage 1502-04,
during which he hoped to find a strait
leading to India. He died in poverty in
Valladolid and is buried in Seville
cathedral. In 1968 the site of the wreck of
the Santa Maria, sunk off Hispaniola 25 Dec
1492, was located. Columbus Day (12 Oct), a
public holiday, is named for him.