Christopher Columbus Facts – Interesting Facts About Christopher Columbus

Interesting Facts About Christopher Columbus

Columbus took his first voyage in 1470 on one of his employer’s ship to the island of Chios in the Aegean Sea, at the age of 19.

In 1475 he went on a second trip to Chios. During the first voyage and the second trip he learned how to navigate and steer a ship on open water on a long voyage.

Columbus first voyage into the Atlantic almost cost him his life in 1476. The commercial fleet on which he was traveling was attacked by French pirates off the coast of Portugal. His chip was burned and he had to swim to Portugal shore with the aid of a piece of driftwood.

Columbus married to Felipa Perestrelo while he was in Portugal and had a son called Diego in 1480. He move to Spain after his wife died, and there he met Beatrix Enriiquex de Arana and had a son Fernando in 1488.

When Columbus was in Portugal, he ran a bookselling and mapkeeping shop along with his brother Bartolomeo.

Columbus was a pirate or Privateer helping to attack the Moorish merchant ships before he found the New World.

Muslim domination of trade routes through Middle East makes travel to China and India difficult.

Columbus devised a plan to travel through west across the Atlantic to reach the East and believed that it would be safer and quicker.

Columbus took his plan first to Genoa and then to Venice but was rejected everywhere.

Columbus then went to Spanish monarchy of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile in 1486.