Why Is Christopher Columbus Famous ?
Columbus Day is celebrated across the United States on October 12 every year. The day is marked with parades, parties and a lot of fervor. However, it is quite possible that many young children may be unaware why this day is celebrated and the man after whom the day is named. |
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While Christopher Columbus may not like it, he is famous because he was responsible for discovering the Americas, also known as the New World. It was on 12 October 1492 when he first landed in Hispaniola in his quest to find a trading route from the west to the Far East. He thought he had come to Asia when he landed at Hispaniola, but it was not the right assumption. He named this island San Salvador. Later, he went to Cuba and thought he had managed to find the sea route to China. Once again he was wrong. Till he died on 20 May 1506 he refused to acknowledge that he had not found the sea route to Asia. He was convinced that he had and the rest of the people were wrong.
However, Christopher Columbus did not get the necessary fame well after his demise. It was only when other explorers started going to the New World using the same route as Columbus did this man get his due. However, it must be pointed out that this way many many years later. Also, it was Columbus who became one of the pioneers in calling the sailors to sail west to reach the trade markets of Japan and China. However, most people were skeptical about this claim. He was unable to get the Portuguese royal family to sponsor his voyage. It was later, after he moved to Spain along with his son, Columbus was able to convince the king and queen of Spain to sponsor his trip westward. He assured the royal couple that he would come back with his ships laden with gold, silk, silver and spices. While he could not keep to his words, he did something even better. He helped the world realize that there are more lands in the world.
It is really ironic that the man who discovered the New World was not honored by having the new lands named after him. Instead, the Americas got their name from an Italian named Amerigo Vespucci. Hence, this could be the reason that there are some people who do not know why Christopher Columbus is famous.
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United States History: Christopher Columbus
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Most probably Christopher Columbus was always interested in sailing and the adventure associated with going out to sea. At least, that is what he claimed. He said that he went out for the first time into the sea when he was a young boy of just ten. No one knows whether this is a fact or not. Nonetheless, his interest in sailing and finding new lands and sea routes were instrumental in him discovering the New World. Imagine if Columbus had not discovered the New World? 