Where Was Christopher Columbus Born

Christopher Columbus was a navigator, colonizer and explorer who was instrumental in bringing Spanish colonization to the Americas. While he was not the first European to reach the Americas, he was the first to make Europe fully aware of the Americas. But where was Christopher Columbus born? This article will answer exactly that question and also look at three interesting facts about Christopher Columbus.

Where Was Christopher Columbus Born
There are many alternate theories about where Christopher Columbus was born. The general consensus of historians is that Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. Many historical documents written by Christopher Columbus indicate that he was born in Genoa. There are even some legal documents that show that Columbus is of Genoese origin of Columbus, as well as his father Domenico and his brothers. One of these legal documents is Christopher Columbus’ will which stated (when translated to English) ‘I was born in Genoa’. However, some historians (and conspiracy theorists) have suggested that Christopher Columbus was born elsewhere. These historians point to inaccuracies in legal and historical documents. These have led some people to believe that Christopher Columbus was born in Portugal, Spain or Greece. Some believe he was a spy for King John II of Portugal, changed his name to Christopher Columbus and faked his Genoese birth. The evidence for these alternate theories is limited and nearly all historians agree that Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. So now you know the answer to the question where was Christopher Columbus born. Now let’s look at three interesting facts about Christopher Columbus.

Three Facts about Christopher Columbus
Fact 1: Columbus Day is celebrated every year in Spain and in the Americas to celebrate Christopher Columbus’ first voyage. However, Christopher Columbus only found American mainland on his third voyage in 1498.

Fact 2: All through his life, Columbus thought his voyages had been along the east coast of Asia.

Fact 3: In his writings, Columbus claimed that that he first went to sea when he was just 10 years of age.