Christopher Columbus

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25 and October 31, 1451, in Genoa, then the capital of a self-governing area on the northwest coast of Italy. Genoa was an important seaport, and the Genoese ships traded throughout the Mediterranean region.

Christopher's given and family name was Cristoforo Colombo. In English, he is known as Christopher Columbus, the Latinized forms of the name. He called himself Cristobal Colon after he settled in Spain. His father, Domenico Colombo, was a wool weaver. To increase his income, Domenico also worked as a gatekeeper and wine merchant. Christopher's mother, Susanna Fontanarossa, was the daughter of a wool weaver.

Christopher was the oldest of five children. His brothers, Bartholomew and Diego, worked closely with him on many of his enterprises. Christopher and his brothers may have been tutored or sent to a monastery school to learn basic Latin and mathematics. Christopher's formal education ended at about age 14.

Young Adulthood. Christopher's ambitious father pushed the boy into a business career, and Christopher began to sail on trading trips. He worked as an agent for the Spinola, Di Negro, and Centurione families of Genoa. In the mid-1...