Christopher Columbus

Protesters led by Bad River Anishinaabe activist Mike Forcia toppled this statue of Christopher Columbus on June 10, 2020.

Meet the Indigenous Activist Who Toppled Minnesota's Christopher Columbus Statue

The unauthorized removal of the monument took place during the racial justice protests of summer 2020

In October 2020, authorities in Mexico City set up metal fences (pictured here) to protect a statue of Christopher Columbus from protesters. Officials later removed the sculpture, ostensibly for restoration.

Statue of Pre-Hispanic Woman Will Replace Columbus Sculpture in Mexico City

The towering likeness is an oversized replica of a 15th- or 16th-century limestone artwork discovered earlier this year

In the modern era, the European discovery of North American became a proxy for conflicts between American Protestants and Catholics, as well as northern Europeans who claimed Vikings like Leif Eriksson (left) as their ancestors and southern Europeans who touted links to Columbus (right) and the monarchs of Spain.

Viking Map of North America Identified as 20th-Century Forgery

New technical analysis dates Yale's Vinland Map to the 1920s or later, not the 1440s as previously suggested

The planned memorial to victims of slavery will be located in the Tuileries Gardens in the center of Paris.

France Seeks Proposals for Memorial to Victims of Slavery

Currently, Paris is home to just one significant monument recognizing the country's history of enslavement

A marble statue of Christopher Columbus was beheaded in Boston.

Christopher Columbus Statues Beheaded, Pulled Down Across America

Protesters in three U.S. cities targeted sculptures of the Italian explorer and colonizer

Archaeologists found a skull fragment, femur and other human remains on the fifth day of the excavation.

Likely Burial Site of Irish Hero 'Red' Hugh O’Donnell Found in Spain

The 16th-century chieftain fled his home country after suffering a devastating defeat at the Battle of Kinsale

A hurricane in the West Indies. Line engraving, late 16th century.

The Bahamas and the Caribbean Have Withstood Hurricanes for Centuries

Europeans came to the islands unprepared for the destructive storms, even as indigenous people understood their massive power

General interior view of the Main Administration Building

Notre Dame University Will Cover Controversial Columbus Murals

The university’s president said the artworks memorialize a historic ‘catastrophe’ for native peoples

Puerto Rico

Archaeologists Date Pre-Hispanic Puerto Rican Rock Art for the First Time

A new analysis looks at the thousands of images found in caves on Mona Island, a spiritual hub for the Taino culture

Christopher Columbus Monument Defaced in Central Park

Vandals covered the statue’s hands in red paint and wrote “Hate will not be tolerated” on its base

Signs calling for the abolition of Columbus Day formed the backdrop for a protest in front of city hall in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The Timeline History of Celebrating (and Not Celebrating) Columbus Day

The holiday has been controversial practically since its inception

New Research

Bronze Buckle Shows Ancient Trade Between Eurasia and North America

Metal objects found on Alaska's Seward Peninsula indicate that local people received trade goods from Asia almost 1,000 years ago

Columbus Plaza in Washington, D.C.

Why Christopher Columbus Was the Perfect Icon for a New Nation Looking for a Hero

Columbus became Columbus in the American Revolution—when the United States sought out an origin story that didn’t involve the British

Did This Map Guide Columbus?

Researchers decipher a mystifying 15th-century document

Replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria sail Past Cape Canaveral in 1992

Cool Finds

Shipwreck Probably Not Santa Maria

Shipwreck found off the coast of Haiti is probably not Santa Maria

Trending Today

Columbus Day Is Now Indigenous People’s Day in Seattle And Minneapolis

Some cities seek to change the second Monday in October to a more politically correct, inclusive holiday

Christopher Columbus' flagship, the Santa Maria, and his companion ships Pinta and the Nina approaching land. Undated Woodcut.

New Research

Wreckage of Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria Found off Haitian Coast (Maybe)

The Santa Maria ran aground off Haiti in 1492

Skeletal remains being dug up at La Isabela, the first European settlement in the New World, founded by Christopher Columbus is 1493.

New Research

Scurvy Plagued Columbus' Crew, Even After the Sailors Left the Sea

Severe scurvy and malnutrition set the stage for the fall of La Isabela

Historian Alfred W. Crosby coined the term "Columbian Exchange" in reference to the impact of living organisms traded between the New World and Old World.

Alfred W. Crosby on the Columbian Exchange

The historian discusses the ecological impact of Columbus’ landing in 1492 on both the Old World and the New World

Taíno leader Francisco "Panchito" Ramírez Rojas offers a prayer to the sea near Baracoa on Cuba's eastern coast.

What Became of the Taíno?

The Indians who greeted Columbus were long believed to have died out. But a journalist's search for their descendants turned up surprising results

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