Columbus Arrives in the Canary Islands

Date: August 12, 1492 • Location: Santa Amalia, Spain

Christopher Columbus arrives in the Canary Islands on his first voyage to the New World.

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four Spanish transatlantic voyages in the name of the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas. His expeditions were the first known European contact with the Caribbean and Central and South America.