Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. He was the
oldest child in his family, with four younger brothers and sisters. When
Christopher became an explorer, two of is brothers went along with him on
many of his voyages.

Christopher Columbus grew up near the sea and took his first voyage
at age eighteen. He began learning about the ocean currents and how to
navigate at sea.

Columbus wanted to find a quicker route to reach India and China.
Believing that the Earth was round, he planned to sail west to each the east.
Columbus need ships and a crew for his voyage. He went to Genoa,
then Venice, but was turned down at both places. The people didn’t believe
that Columbus’ plan would work. Then Columbus visited the king and queen
of Spain in 1486 to ask for ships and aid with his voyage. They refused at
first, but later agreed.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus left Spain and began his voyage. He
took three ships. The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria. In two months’
time, they reached an island which Columbus named San Salvador.
Columbus thought he had reached an island of Asia. He called it The Indies
and called the native people Indians.

Columbus made a total of four voyages back and forth from Spain. The
final voyage was made in 1502. Columbus didn’t know he had discovered a
new world, but today we remember Christopher Columbus as one of the first
explorers to set foot on American soil. Columbus returned to Spain and later died from an illness in 1506.