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Setting the scene
By 1492, Ottoman control of Constantinople had blocked traditional Silk Road routes, and Portugal was pioneering African sea routes to Asia. Christopher Columbus, a Genoese navigator, believed he could reach Asia by sailing west, underestimating Earth's circumference by 25%. After Portuguese rejection, he spent seven years lobbying Spain's Ferdinand and Isabella, who had just conquered Granada and expelled Jews. They finally funded three small ships—Niña, Pinta, and Santa María—to claim new trade routes.
What happened
Columbus departed Palos, Spain on August 3, 1492, with about 90 men. After stopping in the Canary Islands, he sailed west for 33 days. On October 12, 1492, at 2 a.m., Rodrigo de Triana aboard Pinta sighted land—an island in the Bahamas called Guanahani by the Taíno, which Columbus renamed San Salvador. He explored Cuba and Hispaniola, where Santa María wrecked on Christmas Day. He left 39 men at La Navidad and returned to Spain in March 1493.
Why it still matters
Columbus never reached Asia and died in 1506 still believing he'd found islands off China. His voyage initiated sustained European contact with the Americas, beginning the Columbian Exchange that transferred crops, animals, diseases, and peoples between hemispheres. Within 50 years, 90% of indigenous Americans died from disease. His voyages led to Spanish colonization, the transatlantic slave trade, and the modern global economy, making 1492 the pivotal year dividing medieval and modern world history despite his navigational errors.
Background
His voyages began sustained transatlantic exchange and conflict. Even centuries later, this episode remains a reference point for how empires rise, fracture, and transform.