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CristobalColon was born in October 31st, 1451 in the City of Genova, Italy. He grew up in a humble family, who lived as farmers and artisans without much money.
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In this year he traveled with the intention of trading in places like: Portugal, Lisbon, Madeira, England.
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In this year he met and married Felipa Perestrello Moniz, a member of an impoverished Portuguese family from whom he had a son, Diego Colon, born around 1480.
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In this year Colon began to seek support for an Atlantic crossing from King Juan II of Portugal, but he denied him help. Some conspiracy theorists have alleged that Colon made a secret pact with the Monarch, but there is no evidence of this.
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Felipa Moniz died in 1485, shortly before the flight of her husband Cristobal Colon to Castille. Colon took as her lover Beatriz Enriquez de Harana de Córdoba, and she had her second child, Fernando.
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In this year Colon was firmly in Spain, requesting the sponsorship of King Ferdinand and Queen Elizabeth. After at least two rejections.
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The kings sent a letter to Palos in which they ordered the construction of two caravels that they would put at the service of Colon.
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August 3, 1492 Cristobal Colon leaved from Puerto de Palos (Spain) with two caravels (La Niña and La Pinta) and a ship (La Santa María). On October 12, 1492, after 72 days of navigation, Rodrigo de Triana the sailor spotted the mainland.
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Second trip, the search for the treasures of India: Colon leaves on September 25, 1493, commanding 17 ships and 1,200 men. Forty days later he discovered the Antilles, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
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Colon founded the city of La Isabela (January 6, 1494), the first of the Spanish in America; There, the problems began for Colon because of the Spanish discontent for the poor living conditions on the island.
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In June 1496 Colon returned from his second trip aboard La Niña, but for the kings, it was not as they expected. they wanted to see more gold and the things colon offered for them were not sufficient.
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In 1498 Colon leave for the third time; with a fleet of six ships and six hundred men. During this expedition he made new explorations as Trinidad Island, the Paria Gulf, on the American Continent.
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On May 11, 1502, he left with his brother Bartholomew and his son Hernando Colon from Cadiz with 4 ships and 150 men. In June they leave Jamaica and in September they leave for Spain.
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Finally, they arrive in Sanlucar de Barrameda in November 1504. On the trip he discovered the Caribbean Coasts from the current countries of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; This concludes the career of this bold, tenacious and brave sailor.
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Cristobal Colon died in Valladolid on May 20th, 1506, presumably due to complications of an arthritis suffered for years. After his death, his body was discarded which removed all the flesh from the bones for the best preservation of the corpse.
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His remains remained in a Franciscan convent in Valladolid until his son Diego moved to the Cartuja de las Cuevas in Seville.
