He was a significant figure in the further development of the discovery. He made many important discoveries that changed the way we see the world today. Christopher Columbus was a fundamental figure in the discovery of new lands in his time. Columbus' accidental discovery of the Americas was a very significant event in history. Columbus' many voyages had a lasting impact on the world, inspired many others, and marked the beginning of centuries of overseas conquest and colonization. Christopher Columbus' early life was very interesting and involved a good education and introduction to exploration. Christopher Columbus was born in the Republic of Genoa, Italy, around 1451, although “the exact date of Columbus' birth is not known” (López-Portillo, José-Juan). Christopher's father was a wool merchant; he worked in Genoa and Savona. Columbus studied mathematics, astronomy, cartography, and navigation in Lisbon, Portugal. By the end of the 15th century it was “almost impossible to reach Asia from Europe by land” (History.com). The explorers were forced to travel by sea. Christopher had many different ideas, he was a thinker. One of his early ideas was to sail west across the Atlantic instead of sailing around the vast continent of Africa as the Portuguese explorers did. Christopher's early life was very interesting and also set the tone for his ambitious attitude towards exploration. One of Columbus' first voyages was accidentally very important and influenced the world today. “On August 3, 1492, Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain on three ships: the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria” (History.com). On October 12 the ships landed. Only they weren't in Asia, as Columbus thought, they were on an island in the Bahamas. Later... middle of the paper... onization. Although some mysteries are still open about his life, what we already know is enough to say that Christopher was one of the most significant explorers of his time. Columbus' legacy lives on and will never be forgotten. From his first voyage to his last, Christopher Columbus influenced the world in many different ways through his ambitious days of exploration. Works Cited Boubion, Gina. “Christopher Columbus”. Student Research Center. 23.5 (January 2007) Web. 18February 2014Briney, Amanda. "Christopher Columbus." About.com Geography. Np, nd Web. 26 February 2014. “Christopher Columbus.” History.com. A&E and Web television networks. February 09, 2014.López-Portillo, José-Juan. "Columbus, Christopher." Student of the world book. Book of the World, 2014.Web. February 27, 2014.Meltzer, Milton. “Columbus and the world around him”. 1990. Book. February 18. 2014.