On 17 April 1492 Spain and Christopher Columbus signed a contract which gave Columbus the finances he needed to sail to Asia to get spices. Instead of sailing East, he decided to sail West and unintentionally discovered what was known as the New World (North America and South America)

Who was Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to Asia (in order to trade for spices).

Why was North America and South America known as the New World?

In the late fifteenth century, the Americas were new to the Europeans. 15th Century people believed the world was flat and thought that the world only consisted of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Columbus had the idea that the world was round, and saw an opportunity to prove his theory by sailing to the Far East by sailing West instead of the usual East. With our modern knowledge, we know that the great land mass of America blocks the way to the Far East. Columbus however had no idea it existed.

Columbus Day

Columbus Day, held annually on the second Monday of October, remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on 12 October 1492