How old is Christopher Columbus?

Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer whose transatlantic voyages, completed with the support of the Spanish Crown, became some of the most influential expeditions in world history. Born in 1451 in the Republic of Genoa, he was raised in the family of a weaver and grew up alongside four siblings. As a teenager, he helped with his father’s work, yet he felt a much stronger pull toward life at sea. In the mid-1470s, he became a business agent and took part in numerous maritime journeys, including trips to the Aegean and the North Sea. During this period, he settled in Lisbon, married, and devoted himself to studying astronomy, geography, and navigation.

In the early 1490s, Columbus secured financial support from the Spanish monarchy for an ambitious westward voyage in search of a route to India. In 1492, he set sail across the Atlantic and reached the Bahamas, later exploring Cuba and Haiti. A second major expedition followed in 1493, during which he visited the Canary Islands, the Antilles, Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti. Over his lifetime he completed four voyages to the Caribbean and Central America, opening the way for an extensive era of European exploration and colonization.

Christopher Columbus died in 1506 at the age of 54. His legacy lives on through the historical impact of his journeys and through the many places around the world named in his honor.

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