what year did columbus discover america

Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering America in 1492. On August 3, 1492, Columbus left Castile, Spain, with three ships and made landfall in the Americas on October 12 of the same year. He was searching for a western trade route on behalf of Spain when he discovered the Caribbean islands. It is important to note that Columbus was not the first person to discover America, as there were already indigenous people living there for thousands of years before his arrival. Additionally, Norsemen are believed to have reached the North American mainland nearly 500 years before Columbus reached the Caribbean.