Spanish Flag1500s

The Italian navigator and discoverer of the New World Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), planting the Spanish flag in the soil of Hispaniola (Haiti). Columbus believed, wrongly, that the Earth's circumference was about 29,000km and that Asia was only 5000km to the west of Europe. In the 1480s he proposed to the Portuguese king John II a westwards trip to Asia but his project was rejected by the royal geographers. In 1492 the monarchs of Spain subsidised his project and he sailed towards Asia with the three small ships Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. On October 12th 1492 he landed on a small island (San Salvador in the Bahamas) of what he thought were the Indies. Illustration by J.L. Beuzon (1939).

Spanish flag1550

Science Photo Library's website uses cookies. By continuing, you agree to accept cookies in accordance with our Cookie policy. Continue

Image

General enquiries: info@sciencephoto.com Sales enquiries: sales@sciencephoto.com Become a contributor: contributors@sciencephoto.com