Christopher Columbus
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Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator born in Genoa around 1451. He began his maritime career at a young age, participating in trading voyages in the Mediterranean. In 1492, Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with three ships: the Santa Maria, Pinta, and Niña. He aimed to find a new route to Asia but instead landed in the Bahamas, claiming the island for Spain. This marked the beginning of European exploration in the Americas. Columbus made three more voyages to the Caribbean and South America, believing he had reached the East Indies. His voyages opened the Americas to European colonization, significantly impacting indigenous populations. Columbus died in 1506, still convinced he had found a new route to Asia. His legacy is complex, as he is credited with opening the Americas to Europe but also criticized for the exploitation and suffering of native peoples that followed his discoveries.
