Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Where did Christopher Columbus first make landfall in 1492?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Christopher Columbus
Navigator and explorer Christopher Columbus.
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World on an island known to its Indigenous inhabitants as Guanahani.123
The precise location of this landing remains a subject of historical dispute among scholars. While San Salvador Island (formerly known as Watlings Island) is the site most generally preferred and traditionally associated with the event, other researchers have presented evidence suggesting the landing may have occurred at Samana Cay or other locations within the Bahamas, such as Cat Island.1432