Timeline: How Columbus found the Americas while looking for Asia

1484

First attempt

Colombus asks for financial suport to John II of Portugal to go search for the east Asian coast.

1486

Second Atempt

Columbus asks Isabella the Catholic for financial suport, she initialy disagrees.

1492

Permision is granted

Permission and resources are granted to Columbus by Isabella the Catholic for him to go search the east Asian coast after the king's clerk Luis de Santángel convinced her.

Aug 3, 1492

Start of the first expedition

Columbus departed from Palos de la Frontera with three ships. The largest was a carrack, the Santa María, owned and captained by Juan de la Cosa, and under Columbus's direct command. The other two were smaller caravels, the Pinta and the Niña, piloted by the Pinzón brothers.

Period: Aug 3, 1492 to Mar 15, 1493

First voyage

The first of the four expedicions of Columbus to the Americas.

Oct 7, 1492

Spoting of an immense flock of birds

Oct 12, 1492

Land spoted for the first time

At 2:00 A.M a lookout on the Pinta, Rodrigo de Triana, spotted land. The captain of the Pinta, Martín Alonso Pinzón, verified the sight of land and alerted Columbus.

Oct 12, 1492

First contatc with native americans

Columbus called the inhabitants of the lands that he visited Los Indios (Spanish for "Indians"). He initially encountered the Lucayan, Taíno, and Arawak peoples. Noting their gold ear ornaments, Columbus took some of the Arawaks prisoner and insisted that they guide him to the source of the gold.

Oct 28, 1492

Exploration of the coasts of actual Cuba

Nov 26, 1492

Search of Babeque

On the night of 26 November, Martín Alonso Pinzón took the Pinta on an unauthorized expedition in search of an island called "Babeque" or "Baneque", which the natives had told him was rich in gold.

Mar 15, 1493