Columbus Lands in San Salvador

Date: October 12, 1492 • Location: Cockburn Town, Bahamas

Christopher Columbus's first expedition makes landfall on San Salvador Island in the Caribbean. (Julian calendar)

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.