Columbus Day

exploration · history · Americas

A daring voyage. Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 and arrived at an island called Guanahaní in the Bahamas on October 12. This journey connected Europe to the Americas for the first time in recorded history.

First European settlements. Columbus built two forts in the Caribbean: La Navidad in December 1492 on Hispaniola, and later La Isabela in 1493. These were the first permanent European settlements in the Americas.

Changed the world. Columbus's voyage opened up exploration and trade routes between Europe and the Americas, which transformed life for people on both sides of the ocean. This makes October 12 important enough for many countries to celebrate it as a national holiday.