Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Christopher Columbus
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images, Videos & Interactives
Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus Christopher, Diego, and Ferdinand Columbus Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus's fleet Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus: departing from Palos, Spain Landing of Columbus Sebastiano del Piombo: Portrait of a Man, Said to Be Christopher Columbus
For Students
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus summary
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus Timeline
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus’s Achievements
Quizzes
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.
Exploration and Discovery
Related Questions
Read Next
Christopher Columbus kneeling, holding flag and sword with two other men holding flags. There are other men on land and in boats behind Columbus and three ships in background. On the island named San Salvador by Columbus, later called Watling Island.
Columbus Day
Christopher Columbus arriving in the New World, 1492. Columbus presents gifts to the first natives to greet him on his landing in America. Columbus set out to discover a westward route to Asia. (Native Americans, colonization of the Americas)
Columbus Day and Its Discontents
"Landing of Columbus" by John Vanderlyn, oil on canvas; commissioned 1836/1837, placed 1847. In the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. 12' x 18' ft. (3.66 m. x 5.49 m.) Christopher Columbus and members of his crew are shown on a beach
5 Unbelievable Facts About Christopher Columbus
Tisha be-Av (English Ninth of Av). The expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492. King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain being petitioned for mercy. A prelate holds a cross in front of them in warning. Jewish, Spanish Inquisition
Timeline of the Spanish Inquisition
Discover
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Thumbnail for flags that look alike quiz Russia, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway
Flags That Look Alike
Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017
What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?

Christopher Columbus: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/Christopher-Columbus
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As Cristóbal Colón • Cristoforo Colombo
Born Between August 26, 1451 and October 31, 1451 • Genoa
Died May 20, 1506 • Valladolid • Spain
Notable Family Members son Diego Columbus • brother Bartholomew Columbus

Did You Know?

  • Columbus' heirs sued the Spanish crown, claiming Columbus was deprived of his profits. The lawsuits ended almost 300 years after Columbus first set sail.
  • Spanish ships in the 1400s were generally named after saints; hence, 'Nina' and 'Pinta' are actually nicknames given to the ships by the sailors.
  • Columbus was assured 10 percent of any wealth he found as well as the rank of nobility and governor over the Americas he was to encounter.

Photos and Videos

Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher, Diego, and Ferdinand Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus's fleet
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus: departing from Palos, Spain
Landing of Columbus
Sebastiano del Piombo: Portrait of a Man, Said to Be Christopher Columbus
Enjoy a dramatization of Christopher Columbus petitioning Spain's king and queen for three ships
How did Spain become a colonial power in America?
Examine the history—and controversy—behind Columbus Day
See All Videos, Images and Interactives →
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Spanish conquistador
René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle
René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle
French explorer
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Spanish explorer
Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh
English explorer
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Spanish explorer
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
French explorer
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
French explorer
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León
Spanish explorer
Giovanni da Verrazzano
Giovanni da Verrazzano
Italian navigator
Juan Bermúdez
Spanish navigator
Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt
German explorer and naturalist
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Portuguese explorer
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake
English admiral
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Portuguese navigator
Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci
Italian navigator
Title page of Richard Hakluyt's The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Discoveries of the English Nation
Richard Hakluyt
British geographer
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson
English navigator and explorer
John Smith
John Smith
British explorer
William Clark
William Clark
American explorer
Meriwether Lewis
Meriwether Lewis
American explorer

Related Quizzes and Features

Quiz
Buzz Aldrin. Apollo 11. Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin, photographed July 20, 1969, during the first manned mission to the Moon's surface. Reflected in Aldrin's faceplate is the Lunar Module and astronaut Neil Armstrong, who took the picture.
Exploration and Discovery
List
Eskimo. Three members of a Noatak family pose for a portrait in full regalia. Photo by Edward S. Curtis (1868-1952), c.1929. Eskimos or esquimaux indigenous peoples, traditionally inhabited circumpolar region (see notes)
10 Fascinating Facts About the First Americans
"Landing of Columbus" by John Vanderlyn, oil on canvas; commissioned 1836/1837, placed 1847. In the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. 12' x 18' ft. (3.66 m. x 5.49 m.) Christopher Columbus and members of his crew are shown on a beach
5 Unbelievable Facts About Christopher Columbus