The New World, referring to the majority of lands in the Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, was first reached by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492. Columbus, an Italian explorer sailing under the Spanish flag, is credited with the European discovery of the New World when he landed on an island in the Bahamas. Although he believed he had reached the East Indies (Asia), his voyage opened the way for extensive European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
The term "New World" was introduced shortly after and popularized by explorers such as Amerigo Vespucci, who was among the first to argue that these lands were not part of Asia but rather a separate continent. However, Columbus is historically credited for the initial European discovery.
Therefore, Christopher Columbus is recognized as the discoverer of the New World from a European perspective, arriving in 1492. Other explorers, including the Vikings (like Leif Eriksson), had reached parts of North America earlier, but Columbus's voyages had the most profound impact on subsequent European actions in the hemisphere.
