Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus

Biography, Timeline & Facts about the famous explorer, explorations & voyages in the Age of Exploration
For specific facts and information about America please refer to Colonial America.

Christopher Columbus Ships

Short Biography of the life of Christopher Columbus - Explorer and Navigator
The following biography information provides basic facts about the life Christopher Columbus:

• Nationality - Born in Italy. Lived in Portugal and in Spain. Patrons - King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain
• Lifespan - 1451 - 1506
• Family - Respectable, but impoverished family. Christopher Columbus was the eldest of five children. Christopher Columbus had two sons by different mothers. His heir was Diego Columbus (1480 - 1526). His second and favorite son was Ferdinand, better known as Fernando ( 1488 - 1539)
• Education - Limited due to lack of money in the family
• Career - Explorer and Navigator
• Famous for discovering the New World, yet he died thinking he had reached the Indies. A man called Regiomontanus was famous as a Medieval Scientist, Mathematician and Astronomer. His book Ephemerides was used by Christopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci to measure longitudes in their explorations of the New World.

The Ships of Christopher Columbus - Explorer and Navigator
The names of the Ships of Christopher Columbus:

• The Nina
• The Pinta
• The Santa Maria

Facts & History about the Early life of Christopher Columbus - Explorer and Navigator
The following are facts and dates in a timeline format telling the story about the early life and history of Christopher Columbus:

• 1451 Christopher Columbus was born in the Italian port of Genoa, the son of a wool merchant called Domenico Colombo
• His mother was Susanna Fontanarossa, the daughter of a woollens merchant. Christopher Columbus had three younger brothers, Bartolomeo, Giovanni Pellegrino, and Giacomo, and a sister, Bianchinetta Columbus
• 1467 Christopher Columbus travelled to Iceland when he was sixteen years old
• 1470 The Columbus family moved to Savona
• Christopher Columbus travelled the seas as a pirate, or Privateer, attacking ships belonging to the Moors
• 1476 Christopher Columbus ship is sunk in a battle off Portugal, but he swims ashore
• 1477 Christopher Columbus joined his brother Bartholomew who worked as a cartographer, in Lisbon
• 1479 Christopher Columbus married wealthy Felipa Perestrello Moniz, a daughter from a noble Portuguese family
  • Felipa's father was Bartolomeu Perestrello an explorer who had been involved with the discovery of the Madeira Islands ( Bartolomeu Perestrello had died when Felipa was a young girl)
  • Felipa gave Christopher Columbus Bartolomeu Perestrello's charts of the winds and currents of the Portuguese possessions in the Atlantic
• 1480 Christopher Columbus and Felipa had a son who they named Diego Colon
• 1484 Christopher Columbus failed to get the King of Portugal to back his plan to search for a fast trade route to the Indies
• 1485 Christopher Columbus wife Felipa dies of consumption
• 1485 Christopher Columbus moves to Cadiz in Spain opening another shop supplying maps and charts
• 1486 Columbus begins his relationship with Dona Beatriz Enriquez de Arana, a lady of a noble family from Cordova in Spain
• 1486 Columbus first petitions his plans to the Spanish court but is refused
• 1487 He was in the service of the Duke of Medina Celi, Don Luis de la Cerda
• 1487 Columbus submits his plans to King Henry VII of England and King Charles VIII of France but they both decline his proposals
• 1488 His second and favorite son Ferdinand, better known as Fernando ( 1488 - 1539) was born. His mother was Dona Beatriz Enriquez
• 1491 Columbus again appealed to King Ferdinand taking his son Diego with him but he was again refused
• 1491 A priest called Father Perez interceded on behalf of Columbus and pleaded with Queen Isabella to fund Columbus who, if he succeed would be able to convert heathen races to Christianity
• 1492 King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain finally give Christopher Columbus the money and ships
• Both the sons of Christopher Columbus served as pages to Prince Juan, the son of the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
• 1492 August  Columbus leaves Palos, Spain in search of the Indies

Timeline, Facts & History about the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus to the New World

• Christopher Columbus ship was called the Santa Maria. It was completely decked and carried the flag of Columbus as admiral. His son, Fernando accompanied Columbus
• The other two ships, the Pinta, and the Nina, were undecked caravels with cabins and forecastles
• Martin Alonso Pinzon commanded the Pinta and his brother, Vicente Yanez Pinzon commanded the Nina
• Christopher Columbus three ships carried 120 men
• 1492 September 8 - The Voyage of Christopher Columbus began
• 1492 September 15 The ships touched at the Canaries the conditions were favorable
• 1492 September 20 The Sargasso Sea - the conditions change. Columbus kept two log books to deceive the crew as to the real length of the voyage
• 1492 September 23 The Crew Members Become Disgruntled
• 1492 October 7 False Landfall is spotted
• 1492 October 11 There is near Mutiny from the crew
• 1492 October 12 Land was seen plainly by one of the Pinta's crew
• 1492 October 12 Columbus lands on Watling's Island in the Bahamas, West Indies. The discoverers named the island San Salvador. Columbus believes that he has reached the passage to India and China
• 1492 October 28 Cuba
• 1492 December 5  the Santa Maria sinks off the cost of Hispaniola
• Christopher Columbus establishes the first Spanish settlement in the New World
• 1492 January 16 Christopher Columbus starts the return journey home to Spain

Timeline, Facts & History about the Later life of Christopher Columbus
The following are facts and dates in a timeline format telling the story about the later life and history of Christopher Columbus:

• 1493 Christopher Columbus arrives at Palos in Spain on 15 March, 1493
• He brings the news to Europe of the New World
• 1493, 25 September  The Second voyage of Christopher Columbus with 16 ships from Cadiz, carrying about 1500 men including Juan Ponce de Leon
• Columbus explores Hispaniola (Jamaica) and encounters the hostile Carib and Arawak native indians
• Columbus establishes a Spanish settlement in Haiti and searches for gold
• 1494 September 29 Christopher Columbus returns to Spain
• 1498 May 30 The Third voyage of Christopher Columbus from Seville, Spain, with six ships
• 31 July 1498 Christopher Columbus arrived at the Cape Verde Islands, near Trinidad
• Columbus crossed over to the mainland where he discovered pearls
• Christopher Columbus was the first European to land in South America
• News spreads to Spain about problems in the Spanish settlements. Columbus is heavily criticised for its handling
• A visita was ordered - it was a much dreaded measure. The visitador chosen to investigate was Francisco de Bobadilla
• 24 August, 1500 Bobadilla landed at Santo Domingo
• Francisco de Bobadilla believed that Columbus and his brothers considered themselves rulers of the new country. He ordered their imprisonment, where they were harshly held in irons
• 1500 October Christopher Columbus and his brothers are sent home in chains
• Royalty, nobility and the Spanish people were horrified at the injustices which ad been heaped on Christopher Columbus and all previous property confiscated and rank was restored to Christopher Columbus
• Christopher Columbus proposed yet another voyage of discovery
• 1502 Fourth and final voyage of Christopher Columbus leaves from Cadiz, Spain, with four ships
• 1504 7th November - Christopher Columbus returns to Spain
• 1506, May 20 Christopher Columbus dies at the Spanish court at Valladolid

Interesting Facts and Information about Christopher Columbus
Some interesting facts, timeline and biography information about the History, Life & Times of Christopher Columbus

Famous Explorers - Christopher Columbus - Explorer and Navigator
Additional details, timelines, facts, history and information about the famous European Explorers and events in the great Age of Exploration and Elizabethan Times can be accessed via the Elizabethan Era Sitemap.