Christopher Columbus made the voyage that, for better and worse, changed history.

Born in the bustling port city of Genoa, Italy, Columbus fell in love with the sea, and spent his youth learning all he could about steering and navigating a ship. Dreaming of wealth and fame, he believed he could find a new route to the Indies by sailing westward.

Columbus and his crew had been sailing for five weeks into uncharted waters before finally reaching land one blazing hot day in 1492. It was a difficult journey that many predicted would be impossible, but Columbus proved them wrong and his voyage changed the world. Columbus had done it: he was the first man to reach the East by sailing west, and he was heralded as the Father of the New World. Columbus would take three more voyages to different places, but he remains best known as the pioneer who opened routes to the exploration and settlement of the Americas.