Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Columbus Day


We have been reading about Christopher Columbus recently.  Yesterday was Columbus Day, so in honor of Christopher I'll share a few of the things I learned about him this last week. 

1. He actually made land on October 12th (first sighted land on the 11th).

2. He landed in the Bahamas, which is technically North America, just not North America as I think of it.  He then went on to other islands, including Cuba.

3. Long before sailing west and discovering a New World, he was  shipwrecked 6 miles off the coast of Portugal.  He swam/floated/kicked his way to shore and then stayed in Portugal for the next 9 years.  

4.  He married a woman of noble birth 2 years after arriving in Portugal, thus enabling him to go to the King of Portugal for financial support of his voyage west.  He was refused the support though, so then Columbus went to Queen Isabella of Spain, who didn't agree to it immediately either. 

5. Columbus captained the Santa Maria, the slowest, largest ship of the 3-ship fleet.  It was also the only ship that didn't make it back, it ran aground on a reef and sank. 

6. Martin Pinzon captioned the Pinta, the fastest of the three ships.  He was a renowned sailor and it is said that Columbus wouldn't have made it to the New World if it hadn't been for Pinzon.  In parts of Spain, he is considered the co-discoverer of America.  

7. Columbus went on multiple voyages to the New World and back again, not just that first one.  Christopher Columbus had been named Governor-General and Viceroy over all the lands he discovered.    

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