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1415: Prince Henry of Portugal starts promoting exploration towards Africa, advancing navigation techniques.
1492: Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator sailing under the Spanish monarchy, sets sail westward in search of a route to Asia. -
Columbus reaches an island in the Caribbean, believing he has found Asia, but he has actually arrived in the Americas (commonly known as the discovery of America).
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1493: Columbus embarks on his second voyage, exploring more Caribbean islands and establishing the first Spanish colony in the New World (La Isabela, in present-day Dominican Republic).
1498: Columbus makes his third voyage and reaches the island of Trinidad and the coast of Venezuela, opening the way for future exploration.
1502: Columbus embarks on his fourth and final voyage to the Americas, exploring areas near Central America. -
Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer, arrives in what is now Florida, seeking the "Fountain of Youth."
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Francisco Pizarro begins the conquest of the Inca Empire in South America.
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Columbus' discovery of America sparked a series of explorations and colonizations by Spain, Portugal, France, England, and the Netherlands, leading to a global exchange between Europe, Africa, and the Americas (the so-called Columbian Exchange).