The question of who actually discovered America is complex and depends on definitions of "discovery." Although Christopher Columbus is widely credited with discovering America in 1492, he was not the first person to reach the continent. Prior to Columbus, Norse explorers led by Leif Erikson had reached what is now Newfoundland in Canada around 1000 CE, about 500 years earlier. Archaeological evidence, such as the Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows, supports this Viking presence in North America. However, Columbus's voyages opened the way for widespread European exploration and colonization. More fundamentally, indigenous peoples had inhabited the Americas for thousands of years before any European arrivals. These populations likely migrated from Asia over 15,000 years ago, making them the true first discoverers of the continent. In summary:
- Indigenous peoples first discovered and settled America over 15,000 years ago.
- Norse explorer Leif Erikson reached North America circa 1000 CE.
- Christopher Columbus "discovered" the Americas for Europeans in 1492, initiating sustained contact and colonization.
Thus, the answer varies by perspective, but Columbus was neither the first human nor the first European to reach America.
