On 12 October 1492, the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus officially set foot on the American continent on his first of four Spanish-based voyages and claimed the land for Spain.
Columbus is often referred to as the discoverer of America. However, this is only true from the perspective of Europeans at the time.
When Columbus arrived, America was already populated. At the end of the 20th century, North American archaeologists agreed that the Clovis people were the first to reach America around 11,500 years ago. New finds from Mexico even suggest that people were already living there 33,000 years ago.
Columbus undoubtedly introduced the Americas to Europeans and paved the way for the European colonisation of America. The United States has dedicated a public holiday to him since 1937 – Columbus Day on 10 October.
Sources:
- Article “The Real Story: Who Discovered America” (October 2016) by Voice of America (checked in January 2024)
- Article “Earliest evidence for humans in the Americas” (July 2022) by BBC (checked in January 2024)
‘Discovery of America’. Painting by German artist Johan Moritz Rugendas (1802 – 1858). Source: Museu Histórico Nacional, Brazil / Wikipedia