Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus
Posthumous portrait of Christopher Columbus by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1519. There are no known authentic portraits of Columbus.
1st Governor of the Indies
In office 1492–1499
Appointed by	Isabella I of Castile
Succeeded by	Francisco de Bobadilla
Personal details
Born	Before 31 October 1451 Genoa, Republic of Genoa
Died	20 May 1506 (aged c. 54) Valladolid, Crown of Castile
Spouse(s)	Filipa Moniz Perestrelo
Domestic partner	Beatriz Enríquez de Arana
Children	Diego Fernando
Relatives	Brothers: Giovanni Pellegrino Giacomo (also called Diego) Bartholomew Sister: Bianchinetta Columbus
Occupation	Maritime explorer
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature
Military service
Rank	Admiral of the Ocean Sea

Christopher Columbus (Italian: Cristoforo Colombo;c. 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italian explorer, navigator, colonizer, and citizen of the Republic of Genoa. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Those voyages and his efforts to establish permanent settlements on the island of Hispaniola initiated the European colonization of the New World.

Western imperialism and economic competition were emerging among European kingdoms through the establishment of trade routes and colonies. Columbus proposed to reach the East Indies by sailing westward, and this eventually received the support of the Spanish Crown, which saw a chance to enter the spice trade with Asia through a new westward route. During his first voyage in 1492, he reached the New World instead of arriving at Japan as he had intended, landing on an island in the Bahamas archipelago that he named "San Salvador". Over the course of three more voyages, he visited the Greater and Lesser Antilles, as well as the Caribbean coast of Venezuela and Central America, claiming all of it for the Crown of Castile.