Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer who completed four round-trip voyages between Spain and the Americas. His voyages, which began in 1492, were the first European expeditions to reach the Americas after those of the Norsemen. Although he died believing that he had reached East Asia, his expeditions led to the widespread European knowledge of the American continents.
Columbus's first voyage, in 1492, is often cited as the beginning of the European exploration of the Americas. He set sail from Spain with three ships, the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, and reached the Bahamas after a difficult journey. He later explored Cuba and Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
Columbus returned to Spain in 1493 and made three more voyages to the Americas. He explored the Caribbean Sea, Central America, and South America. He also founded the first European colonies in the Americas.
Columbus's voyages had a profound impact on the world. They led to the European colonization of the Americas and the spread of Christianity, European languages, and European culture to the Americas. They also led to the exchange of goods and ideas between Europe and the Americas, and to the development of new agricultural techniques and crops in Europe.