Christopher Columbus' 1492 Voyage to the New World

On 3 August 1492 Genoese explorer Christopher Columbus departed from Spain with three ships – the flagship Santa Maria and the caravels Niña and Pinta – and about 90 crew members. After three months at sea the fleet sighted land on 12 October, which they believed to be the eastern coast of India. The first island, called Guanahani by its inhabitants, was renamed San Salvador and claimed for Spain; a second island, now known as Cuba, was mistakenly identified as Japan. Columbus completed three voyages, died wealthy and famous, yet never realized he had encountered a previously unknown continent. Over the centuries the exact island of his first landing has been debated, with recent claims from a Miami‑based group advocating for Concepción Island. The expedition is commemorated in the United States with monuments and street names honoring Columbus.