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Columbus Day Trivia!

Columbus Day Trivia

Did you know?

The facts surrounding the voyage of Christopher Columbus are actually less known then the myths most of us have grown up believing.

  • Probably the biggest myth of all is that Columbus set out to prove the Earth wasn't flat. Actually it was a well accepted fact in the later 15th Century that the Earth was a sphere, the only unknown was just how big a sphere it was. Columbus believed that it was a small sphere that if sailed west he would reach the Indies in the shortest time (his calculations underestimated the size by one-fourth). It was actually the Portuguese who won the race to the Indies by having sailed east around Africa in 1499.
  • While it is true that Columbus sought funding from Queen Isabella (who actually never sold her crown jewels to finance the trip), it is King Ferdinand of Spain who rightfully claimed credit for brokering the deal. Half of the financing of the 1st voyage was from a private Italian investor.
  • Columbus is widly thought to be Italian (Genoese), however his actual origins are much a mystery. There is very little known about him prior to 1470; it seems many counties from France to Portugal and even Spain wish to claim him as a native son .
  • The maiden voyage included the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Nina - weather was idyllic for sailing and the 90 men were well supplied and no man died. However on the voyage home the Santa Maria was shipwrecked during a hurricane on Christmas day in 1492 - 39 men volunteered to stay behind on the northern coast of present day Haiti - all believed died at the hands native Indians). 500+ years later and it's still not a good tourist spot!
  • Columbus died penniless and jailed. Actually, he died at the age of 55 at his home in Valladoild, Spain a relatively rich man having amassed a wealth of gold found in Hispaniola. In 1500 after his third voyage back to Spain he returned in chains but shortly won his freedom back but not all his privileges promised by the Spanish crown.
  • All told seventeen ships and over 1,200 men made up the 2nd voyage in 1493. The first women sailed at a ratio of 1 to 10 on the third voyage in 1498 .
  • Columbus Day was make up by the retail industry to have a reason to sell more goods. Noooo! Although it's an adopted holiday celebrated with a day off by the Christine Columbus staff. Columbus Day is celebrated around the world. The first U.S. recorded celebration was in New York on October 12th, 1792 in celebration of Italian-American heritage. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937 proclaimed October 12th to be Columbus Day a national holiday. In 1971 the holiday celebration date was changed the 2nd Monday in October. Now due to the politically correct movement some have come to call the formally known Columbus Day as "Discovery Day."

Columbus wrote in his ship's log that it was the birds and fleas which helped discover the New World. Columbus changed course to followed a large flock of migrating birds and in doing so sighted bonfires which were lit on the beaches of San Salvador to keep fleas out of native huts and the New World was discovered.

  • Columbus dies in 1506 still believing he discovered India.
  • The term 'Indians' in reference to American Natives is due to Columbus's belief that he landed in India.
  • Christopher's brother Bartolome was a brilliant cartographer, calligrapher and was a book seller.
  • While no known portrait was painted of Columbus in his lifetime, 71 originals were exhibited at the Chicago Columbian Exposition in 1893.

While many controversies surround Christopher Columbus - I for one have a great affection for his spirt, love of adventure, and courage. Besides, would you remember me as well if my name was "Anita" Vespucci?

Happy Columbus Day and Safe and Happy Travels!

The source of this article is Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. As well as others including Mythbusters by Joesph M. Laufer. For which we are grateful for their works.

Christine Columbus

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Cheers, Annette
President & Co-founder



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