Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus' portrait, painted by Alejo Fernández between 1505 and 1536 (photo by historian Manuel Rosa).
Born	c. 1450 Genoa?, Italy
Died	May 20, 1506 Valladolid, Spain
Occupation	maritime explorer for the Crown of Castile

Christopher Columbus (Genoa?, Italy, 1451? – Valladolid, Spain, May 20, 1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. Although it is generally accepted that he was Italian, Columbus is also associated with Spain because he was sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs and eventually became an admiral for the Crown of Castile. The name Christopher Columbus is a Latinisation of the Spanish Don Cristobal Colón.

Columbus' voyages across the Atlantic Ocean began a European effort at exploration and colonization of the American continent. While history places great significance on his first voyage of 1492, he did not actually reach the mainland until his third voyage in 1498. Likewise, he was not the earliest European explorer to reach the Americas, as there are accounts of European transatlantic contact prior to 1492. Nevertheless, Columbus' voyage came at a critical time of growing national imperialism and economic competition between developing nation states seeking wealth from the establishment of trade routes and colonies. Therefore, the period before 1492 is known as Pre-Columbian.

The anniversary of the 1492 voyage (vd. Columbus Day) is celebrated throughout the Americas and in Spain and Italy. However, as the legacy of the European colonization of the Americas is generally viewed in a more negative light today than in the past, Columbus has become a divisive figure.