Explorer Quiz: Would You Have Landed in India with Columbus?

Columbus – three ships, one continent: The Explorers Quiz takes you on a grand voyage. How much do you know about Columbus’ first voyage?

The Explorers Quiz takes you back to the year 1492, when Columbus set out on his first transatlantic voyage. On 3rd August, three ships set sail from a Spanish port whose name is still associated with this voyage today. The small fleet consisted of two caravels and one nao. A total of about ninety men were on board. From which port did the three ships set sail on Columbus’s voyage in August 1492?

Many more quizzes to sharpen your wits!

In addition to the port, one of the ships also plays a central role in the history of the voyage. The fleet was led by a flagship that is known worldwide today and that has been recreated in numerous replicas. The voyage lasted several weeks before land was first sighted on October 12, 1492. Do you know the name of the ship on which Christopher Columbus sailed westward from Spain in 1492?

The purpose of the voyage continues to be a topic of debate among historians to this day. Columbus originally planned a sea route to Asia and held fast to this belief even after he had reached the New World. He therefore referred to the inhabitants of the newly discovered islands as “Indians” – a mistake with consequences that extend to the present day. What did Columbus believe he had discovered? He maintained this belief until his death.

Many years after the voyage the realisation set in that Columbus had not discovered a new sea route to Asia, but had instead reached a previously unknown continent. Another navigator and cartographer studied the new maps closely and was one of the first to publicly recognise this distinction. His name was later even given to the entire continent. Do you know which explorer realised that America was a new continent?

Take the Discovery Quiz now and show us what you know about Columbus’s famous voyage!

07. August 26, 11:03 – Ines Walk