Columbus (1451-1506)-Italian explorer In 1492, European explorer Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean hoping to reach Asia. Instead,he reached lands that were unknown to Europeans.Those lands were later named the Americas.After Columbus,many Europeans began to settle the Americas.Columbus (1451-1506) — Italian explorer In 1492, European explorer Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean hoping to reach Asia. Instead, he reached lands that were unknown to Europeans. Those lands were later named the Americas. After Columbus, many Europeans began to settle the Americas