The discovery of North America is a complex historical topic with different answers depending on context. The first known European to set foot on the North American mainland was the Viking explorer Leif Eriksson around the year 1000, who reached what is now Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada. Archaeological evidence supports the existence of Viking settlements from that time.
However, the more popularly credited figure for the discovery of the "New World" in European history is Christopher Columbus, who arrived in the Caribbean in 1492 under the Spanish flag, opening the way for widespread European exploration and colonization. Columbus did not reach the North American mainland on this voyage but is often credited with "discovering" America in Western popular culture.
The English explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot) is credited with the first documented European landing on continental North America in 1497, likely in Newfoundland, under the commission of England's Henry VII.
In summary:
- First known European to reach mainland North America: Viking Leif Eriksson (~1000)
- Popularly credited European "discoverer" of America (New World): Christopher Columbus (1492)
- First documented European landing on continental North America under English commission: Giovanni Caboto (1497)
Moreover, the question of "discovery" is broader, as Indigenous peoples had been living in North America for thousands of years before any Europeans arrived.
This layered history shows that the "discovery" of North America depends on the perspective—Vikings were first Europeans there, Columbus opened the way for European colonization, and Indigenous peoples are the original inhabitants. All facts are supported by multiple historical sources and archaeological findings.
