Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) discovered the New World of the Americas in 1492—528 years ago. In 1992, the United States celebrated the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s discovery. A grand celebration was held in New York Harbor. At that time I was in New York and witnessed the magnificent scene: large replica ancient sailing ships modeled after Columbus’s vessels, from more than thirty countries, crossed the oceans and assembled in New York Harbor for the joint celebration. Several fireboats maneuvered among them, spraying multicolored columns of water into the sky, creating a splendid and festive spectacle.

Columbus was born in Italy. From a young age he was fascinated by seafaring adventures and devoted himself to studying navigation. He was well read in The Travels of Marco Polo and was captivated by journeys to the East, especially India and China. He was obsessed with the East’s abundant gold and spices. At the time, Europe’s spice trade with India was extremely profitable, but overland routes were difficult and time-consuming. Discovering a new sea route promised immense wealth. Columbus believed the Earth was round and that sailing west would surely lead to the East.

In 1492, he finally obtained sponsorship from the Queen of Spain, who provided him with one large ship and two smaller ones—three ships in total—along with six months’ provisions, to explore new sea routes and new lands.

From 1492 onward, Columbus made four voyages to the New World over a period of twelve years. Yet he never reached North America. Why, then, does the United States commemorate him on such a grand scale? Moreover, the naming of the U.S. capital honors both Washington and Columbus. The full name of the capital is “Washington, District of Columbia” (WASHINGTON, D.C.). Originally it was called the “District of Columbia,” and only later was “Washington” added, clearly reflecting America’s reverence for Columbus.

Columbus died in Spain in 1506 at the age of fifty-four. Until his death, he firmly believed that the new lands he had discovered were part of Asia in the East.

Columbus ushered in an era of American colonization that lasted for centuries, opening the curtain on a new world and exerting an immeasurable influence on the course of world history. Native Americans had lived peacefully in the Americas for more than ten thousand years. In the five hundred years since Columbus discovered the New World, the changes have been earth-shaking. Had Columbus not made his discovery, the New World might still be slumbering, and humanity might still be groping in darkness. Columbus thus became a symbol of fearless exploration of the unknown.

Today, the date of Columbus’s landing in the Americas—October 12, 1492—has become “Columbus Day,” commemorated annually in the United States, and it is also Spain’s National Day.