Christopher Columbus

‘In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue’ - Up and down the country, rhymes like this used to be chanted as a way to remember various dates and events throughout history. Some were short and sweet, and others, such as ‘Willie, Willie, Harry, Steve’ were long, and grew as time went on.

Born in 1451, Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator. By the time he died in 1506, he had completed no less than four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean. Surprisingly, his explorations were sponsored by the Spanish Monarchs, leading the way for the Spanish colonisation of the New World.