Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator born between August 25 and October 31, 1451, in the Republic of Genoa (now part of Italy). He is best known for completing four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean under the sponsorship of the Spanish Catholic Monarchs, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II, beginning in 1492. His expeditions opened the way for widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas, marking the first known European contact with the Caribbean, Central, and South America
. Columbus initially sought a westward sea route to Asia to access the lucrative spice trade but instead landed in the Bahamas on October 12, 1492, mistakenly believing he had reached islands off the coast of Asia. He explored parts of the Caribbean, including Cuba and Hispaniola, where he established colonies. Columbus made three subsequent voyages to the Americas, exploring various islands and parts of the mainland, but he never acknowledged that he had encountered a previously unknown continent
. Though often credited as the "discoverer" of America, it is now understood that indigenous peoples had inhabited these lands for thousands of years, and earlier explorers like the Vikings had reached North America centuries before Columbus. His voyages initiated the Columbian exchange, a widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, populations, and diseases between the Old and New Worlds, which profoundly affected global history
. Columbus's legacy is complex; while he is recognized for his role in opening the Americas to European exploration, he was also accused of brutality in his role as a colonial governor and his actions contributed to the suffering and depopulation of indigenous peoples through enslavement and disease
. He died on May 20, 1506, in Valladolid, Spain, largely disappointed that he had not found a direct route to Asia and amid disputes over his titles and privileges granted by the Spanish Crown
