Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was a great explorer.For a long time people believed that he 
discovered America.However, we now know that the Norseman, Leif Ericson, landed there 
500 years before Columbus.
        Early life
Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. He was one of five children.He didn't go to 
school, he worked with his father, who was a wool worker.However, he always wanted to go
to sea.
         Life at sea
He became a sailor. Between 1477 and 1485 he visited many countries, including Spain, 
Ireland, Madeira, and West Africa.He learned to read and write Spanish during his early
travels.Columbus wanted to be rich and famous.For eight years he begged King Ferdinand and 
Queen Isabella of Spain to give him money to discover new lands.Finally they agreed and he 
got three ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina, and enough food for a voyage of
one year.He left Spain on 3 August, 1492 and sailed west.After three months at sea, his
sailors became tired and ill.They wanted to go home. 'Give me just three more days,'said
Columbus.Two days later, they saw land.It was an island.Columbus named it San Salvador, 
and its people, Indians.Next, they sailed to Cuba.Columbus thought he was in China or 
Japan.The world was a lot bigger than he thought.Then, unfortunately,near Haiti the 
Santa Maria hit rocks, so Columbus returned to Spain on the Nina, leaving 40 sailors on
the island to look for gold.The Spanish people gave Columbus a hero's welcome.
          Final years
Between 1492 and 1504 Columbus made three more voyages acroos the Atlantic.He took his 
13-year-old son Ferdinand with him on the last voyage.He became famous, but not very rich.
In the last years of his life, he was in great pain with arthritis and couldn't leave 
his bed.He died on 20 May, 1506.