- Columbus was an Italian navigator whose four transatlantic voyages opened the floodgates of European colonization in the Americas. Sponsored by Spain’s Catholic Monarchs, he sought a western route to the East Indies but instead landed in the Bahamas in 1492. His arrival marked the end of the pre-Columbian era and the beginning of global transformation—trade, conquest, and cultural collision. Though revered by some and condemned by others, Columbus remains a pivotal figure in world history.