Cristóbal Colón

Genoese navigator · 1451–1506

Cristóbal Colón
ConquistaHistory15th CenturyAtlantic navigator

Genoese navigator

Genoese navigator born around 1451, linked to the Canary Islands through the stopover of the first Atlantic voyage in 1492.

Early life

Christopher Columbus was born around 1451. He died in Valladolid on 20 May 1506. His connection with the Canary Islands is especially documented in the first Atlantic voyage of 1492, through the textual tradition of the journal abstracted by Bartolomé de las Casas and edited by the Hakluyt Society.

Historical role

Columbus sailed from Palos on 3 August 1492 with the Santa María, the Pinta and the Niña. Before the Atlantic crossing, the voyage passed through the Canary Islands: the journal edition supports treating the islands as a stop for repairs and provisioning, with La Gomera as the westward departure point on 6 September 1492.

Legacy

Gran Canaria's Casa de Colón and other heritage institutions preserve the Canarian-American memory linked to these voyages. Traditions about specific lodgings or personal relationships belong to that memory, but should be distinguished from documented details of the voyage.

Timeline

  1. 1451Cristóbal Colón is born in Genoa, Republic of Genoa.
  2. 1492He sailed from Palos with the Santa María, La Pinta and La Niña toward the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic.
  3. 1492He departed from La Gomera into the Atlantic on his first voyage.
  4. 1506Cristóbal Colón dies in Valladolid, Castile.

Sources and verification