journeys of exploration
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- 3 Aug 1492
- Led by admiral Christopher Columbus, a crew of 90 men and three small ships called the Niña, Pinta, and the Santa María set sail from the south coast of Spain. Their mission is to find a sea route to the Indies by sailing west from Europe.
- 12 Oct 1492
- Christopher Columbus makes landfall in the New World for the first time, 33 days after setting sail from Spain. The exact site (called "Guanahani") is not certain, but San Salvador Island, Bahamas, is generally favored among scholars.