Columbus Day Is Celebrated on the Second Monday in October in the US
It became a federal holiday in 1937, and some places now mark Indigenous Peoples' Day instead.
TopicChristopher Columbus
10 facts
Discover the journey of Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic, opening the way for European colonization of the Americas. Uncover fascinating facts about his life and expeditions.
Columbus Was Born in Genoa
The Italian navigator sailed for Spain.
The Santa María Was Wrecked on Christmas Day 1492
The flagship ran aground off the coast of present-day Haiti.
Columbus Believed He Had Reached Asia
He never realized that he had reached a continent new to Europeans.
Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain Sponsored Columbus's First Voyage
The monarchs agreed to back his plan in 1492.
Columbus Made Four Voyages to the Americas
They took place between 1492 and 1504.
Christopher Columbus Discovered the Cayman Islands in 1503
He named them 'Las Tortugas' (The Turtles) due to the abundance of sea turtles he encountered. The name later changed to 'Caymanas,' referring to the marine crocodiles (caimans) once present.
Christopher Columbus Named The Islands After Saint Ursula And Her Virgins
Upon discovering the islands in 1493, Columbus was struck by the multitude of small islands scattered across the sea. He named them "Las Islas Vírgenes" in honor of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgin martyrs, a legend popular in his time, hence the name Virgin Islands.
Christopher Columbus First Landed in The Bahamas
Historians widely believe San Salvador Island was Columbus's initial landing site in the New World in 1492, though other Bahamian islands are also debated. This event marked the beginning of European colonization of the Americas.
Christopher Columbus Named Antigua After a Spanish Church
In 1493, Columbus sighted the island and named it Santa María la Antigua, after the Santa María la Antigua church in Seville, Spain. The name was later shortened to Antigua.