 |
|
The Early Years:
|
| 1451 |
Columbus is born in Genoa, the son of a
prosperous wool merchant and weaver. By the age
of 14, he takes to the sea. |
| 1476 |
Columbus swims ashore after his ship is sunk
in a battle with pirates off Portugal. He joins
his brother Bartholomew, a cartographer, in
Lisbon. |
| 1477-1484 |
As a master mariner, Columbus makes merchant
voyages as far as Iceland and Guinea. |
| 1479 |
Columbus marries Felipa Perestrella e Moniz,
daughter of a Portuguese nobleman. They settle
on the island of Porto, near Madiera. |
| 1480 |
Eldest son Diego is born. |
| 1484 |
Columbus conceives of "The Enterprise of the
Indies," but fails to convince King John II of
Portugal to back the plan. Wife Felipa dies. |
| 1485 |
Columbus moves to Spain, settling at Palos
in Andalusia. |
| 1488 |
Second son Fernando is born out of wedlock,
to Beatriz Enriquez de Harana. |
| 1492/1/2 |
Ferdinand & Isabela capture Granada, the
last Moorish city in Spain. |
|
|
|
The First Voyage:
|
| 1492/8/3 |
Departs from Palos, Spain (near Huelva) |
| 1492/9/6 |
Departs Gomera (Canary Islands) after repair
and refit. |
| 1492/10/12 |
New world sighted at 2:00 a.m. by Rodrigo de
Triana, somewhere in the Bahamas. |
| 1492/10/29 |
Arrives at Cuba. |
| 1492/11/22 |
Martín Alonso Pinzón, captain of the
Pinta, deserts the expedition off Cuba. |
| 1492/12/5 |
Columbus arrives at Hispaniola. |
| 1492/12/25 |
Flagship Santa Maria sinks off
Hispaniola. Columbus founds La Navidad. |
| 1493/1/6 |
Pinzón rejoins Columbus. |
| 1493/1/16 |
Columbus departs Hispaniola for Spain in the
Niña. |
| 1493/2/14 |
Niña and Pinta are separated again in a
fierce storm. |
| 1493/2/15 |
Sights Santa Maria Island in the Azores. |
| 1493/3/4 |
Arrives at Lisbon, Portugal. |
| 1493/3/15 |
Niña and Pinta return separately to Palos,
Spain. |
|
|
|
The Second Voyage:
|
| 1493 September |
The Grand Fleet of 17 ships departs Cádiz. |
| 1493/10/13 |
Departs Hierro (Canary Islands), sailing WSW |
| 1493/11/3 |
The island of Dominica sighted at dawn;
Guadeloupe shortly after. |
| 1493/11/22 |
Arrives at Hispaniola. |
| 1493/11/28 |
Returns to Navidad, finds fort destroyed. |
| 1493/12/8 |
Founds new colony of La Isabela. |
| 1494/4/24 |
Sails from Isabela in search of mainland. |
| 1494/4/30 |
Arrives at Cuba. |
| 1494/5/5 |
Arrives at Jamaica. |
| 1494/5/14 |
Returns to Cuba. |
| 1494/6/13 |
Starts the return to Hispaniola. |
| 1494/8/20 |
Returns to La Isabela on Hispaniola and
takes up his role of governor. |
| 1494-1495 |
Open warfare breaks out between the colonial
Spaniards and the Taino. |
| 1496/3/10 |
Departs from La Isabela for Spain. |
| 1496/6/8 |
Reaches the coast of Portugal. |
|
|
|
The Third Voyage:
|
| 1498/5/30 |
Departs from Sanlucar, Spain, with six
ships. |
| 1498/6/19 |
Arrives at Gomera (Canary Islands); splits
fleet into two squadrons. While one squadron
makes for Hispaniola, Columbus heads for the
Cape Verde Islands and a more southerly route
across the Atlantic. |
| 1498/7/4 |
Departs from the Cape Verde Islands. |
| 1498/7/31 |
Arrives at Trinidad. |
| 1498/8/13 |
Leaves the Gulf of Paria, arrives at
Margartia. |
| 1498/8/19 |
Arrives at the new city of Santo Domingo on
Hispaniola. Columbus resumes his role as
governor of the colony. |
| 1500 October |
Columbus is arrested and sent home in
chains. |
|
|
|
The Fourth Voyage:
|
| 1502/5/11 |
Departs from Cádiz, Spain, with four ships. |
| 1502/6/29 |
Arrives at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola. |
| 1502/7/30 |
Arrives at the Mosquito Coast, modern
Nicaragua. |
| 1503/1/9 |
Establishes garrison at Rio Belen. |
| 1503/4/6 |
Garrison attacked by Indians and abandoned. |
| 1503/4/16 |
Leaves Rio Belen for home. |
| 1503/6/25 |
Sinking ships beached and abandoned at
Jamaica, marooning crew. |
| 1504/6/29 |
Crew rescued from Jamaica after more than a
year on the island. |
| 1504/11/7 |
Columbus returns to Spain. |
| 1506/5/20 |
Columbus dies at Valladolid. |
