Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 and was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India. Columbus sailed for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. On his first trip, Columbus led an expedition with three ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, and about 90 crew members. They landed on an island they called Guanahani, but Columbus later renamed it San Salvador. They were met by the local Taino Indians, many were captured by Columbus' men and later sold into slavery. Columbus thought he had made it to Asia, and called this area the Indies, and called its inhabitants Indians. Columbus returned to Spain in the Nina, arriving on March 15, 1493.
Ferdinand Magellan is most known for organizing a voyage that led to the circumnavigation of Earth. He was born is 1480 at Vila Nova de Gaia, near Porto. His parents died when Magellan was ten. He became a page Queen Leonor because of his families heritage. Prior to his famous voyage, he participated in a few battles such as the battle of Cannanore in 1506 and the conquest of Malacca. Magellan was accused of illegally trading with the Moors. These accusations didn't hold up, but Magellan didn't get offered any employment for a while. Due to this, he fled to Spain, where be became friends with Diogo Barbosa and soon married his daughter María Caldera Beatriz Barbosa. His famous voyage started because he wanted to find spice islands for Spain. He obtained a crew of 270 men from places including Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Greece, England and France. He sailed southwest under South America. When he reached the Philippines he befriended some of the natives. A native leader, Rajah Humabon and his ally Datu Zula convinced Magellan to kill their enemy. Magellan led a small attack force but it was not enough. Wounded from a bamboo spear, Magellan was unable to flee from the crowd of natives that surrounded him. April 27, 1521 is Magellan's date of death.
Francisco Pizarro was born on between 1471 and 1478. No one is sure about his exact birth date. Francisco Pizarro was an explorer but also a conquistador. He lead a small group of Spaniards and was able to conquer many civilizations. His biggest was the Inca empire. He was able to capture Atahualpa, Emperor of the mighty Inca Empire, in 1532. that basically gave him control. A little while after Atahualpas capture Pizarro was able to lead his men to victory. He was able to collect unimaginable amount of gold and silver. Greediness came over the men and they began to fight between themselves for the riches. Francisco Pizarro was killed by loyal forces in 1541.
Vasco de Gama was born in 1460. He is famous for discovering a route from Portugal to India. Vasco's father was an explorer that attempted to find the route that his son would later find. Vasco's father died before he could finish his voyage. At first, people said Vasco couldn't sail to India because the Indian Ocean was not connected to any other oceans. As he sailed down the African coast, he had many problems with Muslim traders. When he reached India they accepted him and his trading at first. When he left India, he was told to pay a high tax and leave all of his trading goods. He returned to Portugal and was rewarded by the king.
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