Columbus Departs for Final Voyage to the Americas
Christopher Columbus sets sail from Spain on April 11, 1502, launching a voyage that ultimately ends in shipwreck and mutiny rather than the riches he sought. This disastrous expedition convinced him that the lands he encountered were part of Asia, a miscalculation that cemented his legacy as a persistent explorer who never fully grasped the true geography of the Americas.
May 9, 1502
524 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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