1451

Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, the son of a wool merchant called Domenico Colombo and Susanna Fontanarossa, the daughter of a wool merchant.

Christopher Columbus had three younger brothers called Bartolomeo, Giovanni Pellegrino, and Giacomo. He also had a sister called Bianchinetta

1470

The family moved to Savona and Christopher Columbus travelled the seas as a pirate, or Privateer, attacking ships belonging to the Moors

1476

Christopher Columbus swims ashores when his ship is sunk in a battle off Portugal

1477

Christopher Columbus joined his brother Bartholomew in Lisbon to work as a cartographer

1479

Christopher Columbus married a noblewoman called Felipa Perestrello Moniz.

Her father had been explorer called Bartolomeu Perestrello who had been involved with the discovery of the Madeira Islands

Felipa gave Christopher Columbus her dead father's charts of the winds and currents of the Portuguese possessions in the Atlantic

1480

Christopher Columbus and Felipa have a son called Diego Colon

1484

Christopher Columbus fails to gain the patronage the King of Portugal to enable him search for a  trade route to the Indies

1485

Felipa dies of consumption and Christopher Columbus moves to Cadiz in Spain where he opens another shop supplying maps and charts

1486

Columbus meets Dona Beatriz Enriquez de Arana from Cordova in Spain who he marries

Columbus petitions his plans to the Spanish court but is refused any patronage

1487

Works in the service of the Duke of Medina Celi, Don Luis de la Cerda

Columbus submits his plans to King Henry VII of England and King Charles VIII of France but again his proposals are declined

1488

Christopher and Dona Beatriz Enriquez have a son called Ferdinand ( 1488 - 1539), better known as Fernando

1491

Columbus again appeals to King Ferdinand of Spain for patronage but he was again refused

A priest called Father Perez intercedes on behalf of Christopher Columbus and pleads with Queen Isabella to fund Columbus emphasising that he would be able to convert heathen races to Christianity

1492

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain finally agree to act as patrons to Christopher Columbus and provide money and ships

August: He leaves Palos, Spain in search of the Indies on his ship which is called the Santa Maria. His son, Fernando accompanied Columbus. The other two ships were called the Pinta and the Nina
Martin Alonso Pinzon commanded the Pinta and his brother, Vicente Yanez Pinzon commanded the Nina. The three ships carried 120 men

September 8: The Voyages of Christopher Columbus on the Santa Maria, Nina and Pinta begin

September 15:  The ships reach the Canaries under favorable conditions

September 20: At the Sargasso Sea the weather conditions change. Columbus keeps two log books to deceive the crew as to the real length of the voyage

September 23: The crew become disgruntled

October 7: False landfall is spotted

October 11: There is near Mutiny from the crew

October 12: Land seen by one of the Pinta's crew and they land on Watling's Island in the Bahamas, West Indies. The discoverers name the island San Salvador and Columbus believes that he has reached the passage to India and China

October 28: The fleet reaches Cuba

December 5: The Santa Maria sinks off the cost of Hispaniola but Christopher Columbus establishes the first Spanish settlement in the New World

January 16: Columbus starts the return journey to Spain

1493

5 March: Christopher Columbus arrives at Palos in Spain bringing his news of the New World

September 25: Cadiz. The Second voyage of Christopher Columbus consisting of 16 ships carrying about 1500 men including Juan Ponce de Leon. Columbus explores Hispaniola (Jamaica) and encounters the fierce Carib and Arawak native indians. He establishes a Spanish settlement in Haiti and searches for gold

1494

September 29: Christopher Columbus returns to Spain

1498

May 30:  The Third voyage of Christopher Columbus from Seville, Spain, with six ships

31 July: Christopher Columbus arrived at the Cape Verde Islands, near Trinidad. He crosses over to the mainland where he discovers pearls

Christopher Columbus was the first European to land in South America but news spreads to Spain about problems in the Spanish settlements and Christopher Columbus is heavily criticised for its handling. A visita was ordered to investigate lead by Francisco de Bobadilla

1500

24 August: Bobadilla lands at Santo Domingo. Francisco de Bobadilla believes that Columbus and his brothers consider themselves rulers of the new country. He orders their imprisonment, where they were harshly held in irons. They are sent home in chains.

Royalty, nobility and the Spanish people were horrified at these injustices and all privileges were restored to Christopher Columbus who proposed yet another voyage of discovery

1502

Fourth and final voyage of Christopher Columbus leaves from Cadiz, Spain, with four ships

1504

7th November: Christopher Columbus returns to Spain

1506

May 20: Christopher Columbus dies at the Spanish court at Valladolid

Christopher Columbus Timeline

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