Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four Spanish transatlantic voyages in the name of the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas. His expeditions were the first known European contact with the Caribbean and Central and South America. September 10, 1451 – May 29, 1506; died at 54. Alive at the same time as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Martin Luther, Niccolò Machiavelli, and François Villon. Wiki link