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1000
Pre-Columbian Explorations
Before Columbus’ arrival, various indigenous civilizations such as the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas thrived in the Americas. Around 1000 AD, Viking explorer Leif Erikson reached Vinland (present-day Canada), but Norse settlements did not last. -
1450
Further Expeditions and Recognition of the Continent
Between 1493 and 1504, Columbus made three more voyages, exploring the Caribbean. In 1497, John Cabot, sailing for England, explored the North American coast. Between 1499 and 1502, Amerigo Vespucci traveled along South America’s coast, identifying it as a new continent, which led to the naming of America after him. -
Mar 8, 1492
Columbus’ First Voyage
On August 3, 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain with three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María. On October 12, 1492, he arrived at an island in the Caribbean (Bahamas), believing he had reached Asia. He then explored Cuba and Hispaniola, marking the beginning of European contact with the Americas. -
1518
Key Discoveries and European Expansion Key Discoveries and European Expansion (1513-1521)
In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. Between 1519 and 1521, Hernán Cortés led the conquest of the Aztec Empire in Mexico, marking the beginning of Spanish colonization. -
1522
Conquest and Colonization
In 1532, Francisco Pizarro led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru. Throughout the 16th century, Spain and other European powers established colonies across the Americas, shaping the course of history.