One of the most famous explorers of all time, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain and landed in present-day Central America in 1492. More than 500 years later, Christopher Columbus Day is celebrated in the United States.
Here are 6 Interesting facts about Christopher Columbus you might not know:
Columbus Taught Himself 3 Languages
Columbus was the son of a middle-class tradesman and he began his career as a humble apprentice. However, he never stopped learning and continued to advance his position in life. Columbus taught himself three new languages: Latin, Portuguese, and Castilian. Like Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln, Columbus read many books.
Christopher Columbus Traveled to England When He Was 25
Christopher Columbus sailed on many voyages from the time he was 20 years old until his fateful voyage in 1492 when he crossed the Atlantic. Columbus started his career as a business agent, traveling and trading goods on behalf of the wealthy families in Italy at the time.
When Columbus was 25 he traveled to England and Ireland from Italy. One of the important facts to remember is that voyages by sea were very different 500 years ago. What we might consider a small journey now was quite an undertaking in those days.
Christopher Columbus Started Pitching His Idea in 1485
As early as 1485, Columbus had approached John II, the King of Portugal, for funding to search for an ocean route to the Indies. Columbus had a radical idea, which was to travel west to reach the Indies in the east. At the time, it was not commonly known or widely accepted that the Earth was round. This is one of the best-known Christopher Columbus facts: Columbus believed the Earth was round but people thought his idea was ridiculous.
Columbus Made 4 Trips Across the Atlantic to the Americas
Columbus insisted that he had landed in the Indies, naming the inhabitants Indians. To this day the Caribbean is also known as the West Indies. While many people know that Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492, it’s one of the lesser-known Christopher Columbus facts that he made three more trips to the New World.
Christopher Columbus wrote a book on the apocalypse in 1501
Columbus studied the Bible intensely, along with the other books that he read. Like Martin Luther King, Jr., Columbus often quoted the Bible in his writings. Possibly one of the least known Christopher Columbus facts is that he published a book of religious writings at the end of his lifetime. In 1501 and 1502, Columbus wrote The Book of Prophecies, a collection of apocalyptic religious writings. These sorts of works were common during the late Middle Ages or medieval period of time.
Christopher Columbus Moved from Italy to Portugal in 1477
In 1477, Columbus sailed to Lisbon where he met one of his brothers Bartholomew, or Bartolomeo, and continued to work as a trader for wealthy merchant families. Columbus soon settled in Lisbon, Portugal. He married Filipa Moniz Perestrelo and sometime in 1479 or 1480, his son Diego Columbus was born.
