Christopher Columbus is a figure synonymous with exploration and discovery, especially known in the United States and other Western regions. His life and voyages continue to fascinate and intrigue us.

Early Life and Beginnings

Columbus was born in October 1451 in what is now Italy, to Domenico Colombo, a middle-class merchant. However, the exact date and place of his birth remain subjects of debate.

The Name We Know

Interestingly, Columbus’s actual name was Cristobal Colon. The name we commonly use today is a different pronunciation.

Voyages to the New World

Columbus made four significant voyages to the American coastlines during his lifetime.

First Adventures at Sea

At just 19 years old, in 1470, Columbus embarked on his first long voyage to Chios in the Aegean Sea, working on a ship for his employer.

The Discovery of Tobacco

While landing in the Bahamas, Columbus’s crew mistakenly thought they were near India, China, or Japan. It was here that they were introduced to strange leaves now known to us as tobacco.

Leaving School for the Sea

Columbus left school and his father’s wool workshop at 14 to apprentice with a merchant on a trading ship.

Travels to England and Ireland

At 25, Columbus traveled from Italy to England and Ireland, journeys that were considerably risky and adventurous by the standards of that era.

The Hardships of Maritime Life

Maritime voyages in the late 1400s were devoid of modern comforts. Columbus’s numerous sea voyages highlight his resilience in facing the harsh realities of sea life.

Columbus’s Appearance

A Spanish Dominican priest who saw Columbus described him as having a large eagle-like nose, blue-gray eyes, and a reddish beard.

Cartography and Bookstore Work

While living in Portugal, Columbus and his brother Bartholomew worked in a small cartographic and book store.

Innovating Sleep at Sea: The Hammock

Columbus was one of the first to use hammocks as sleeping arrangements, a trend he picked up from the natives.

Columbus’s Family

He had two sons, Diego (1480-1526) and Fernando (1488-1539), from two different women.

Columbus’s Legacy in Names

Many places, including the District of Columbia in the USA, rivers, the Columbia Plateau, and numerous cities, are named in his honor.

Learning New Languages

Columbus taught himself Latin, Portuguese, and Castilian, and was an avid reader of works by adventurers, astronomers, and philosophers.

Tobacco in Columbus’s Records

In 1492, the year he discovered America, Columbus’s records mention tobacco, used by the natives, for the first time.

Founding of Santo Domingo

During his second expedition, Columbus founded the city of Santo Domingo, discovered numerous islands, and charted an optimal course to the West Indies. This period also saw the beginning of mass killings of natives by the Spaniards.

Columbus’s Religious Convictions

Columbus was deeply religious and believed that God had called him to undertake his journey. Many of the names he gave to the lands he discovered were religious.

Final Days

After his fourth expedition, Columbus died in Seville without much honor or ceremonial recognition, as the significance of his discoveries was not yet fully appreciated.

Traveling with Criminals

His crew largely consisted of criminals, as few were willing to voluntarily embark on such perilous voyages.

Small Ships, Big Journeys

His first expedition was undertaken on small ships, around 20 to 40 meters long, which was risky even by the standards of the time.

Columbus’s Unfulfilled Promises

Towards the end of his life, Columbus wrote “The Book of Privileges,“ listing promises made to him by the Spanish crown that were unfulfilled.

Compass Discoveries

Columbus was among the first to notice that a compass needle does not point towards the geographic north but towards the magnetic north, a fact he chose not to disclose.

Mistaking Orinoco for Paradise

During his third voyage, Columbus mistook the Orinoco River flowing into the Atlantic in northern South America as the biblical Garden of Eden.

Columbus’s Death in Poverty

Despite his love for gold, Columbus died almost penniless, having given much of his wealth to his stranded crew after a shipwreck.

The Mystery of Columbus’s Remains

Columbus’s final resting place remains a mystery. His remains were moved multiple times, and recent examinations suggest that bones in the Seville Cathedral