Christopher Columbus is one of the most well-known explorers of all times who had made history with the discovery of America. The explorer had made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean in order to find a direct water route connecting Europe and Asia. He never managed to achieve his intentions but instead ended up discovering the ‘New World’.Christopher Columbus was the son of a wool merchant and born in the city of Genoa, Italy in 1451. As a teenager, he worked on a merchant ship and remained at sea till the ship was sunk by pirates. Columbus managed to escape and floated to safety on a scrap of wood. Columbus studied mathematics, astronomy, navigation and cartography in Lisbon and there started his will to explore the world. The first voyage of Columbus was at the end of the 15 the century when it was very difficult to reach Asia from Europe by land. The Portuguese had started sailing around the cape of good hope to reach Asia, but Columbus had other plans in his mind. Columbus wanted to discover a way to sail west along the Atlantic instead of going around the vast African continent. Although Columbus’ plan was sound, the calculations were not entirely correct since his estimation of the earth’s circumference was smaller than reality. Nevertheless, Columbus presented his plans to English and Portuguese officials, where he secured the support of Ferdinand and Isabella. They started their journey on three ships—Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. The ships reached the Bahamian Islands two months after their departure.

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