Explorer · 1451 – 1506
Christopher Columbus
Little-Known Facts
- Columbus badly underestimated the size of the Earth, which is why he believed Asia was reachable by sailing west.
- He made four voyages but never set foot on the North American mainland.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Columbus discover that the Earth is round?
No. Educated Europeans already knew the Earth was round; Columbus's error was underestimating its size, which led him to think he had reached Asia.
Was Columbus the first to reach the Americas?
No. Indigenous peoples had lived there for millennia, and Norse sailors reached North America centuries earlier; Columbus opened sustained, transformative contact.