dec 16, 1492 - Columbus discovered the West Indies believing it to be India
Description:
Columbus lands on San Salvador believing he had reached the Indies, the islands southwest of India that include Indonesia and Malaysia. Columbus believed he had reached the east by traveling west, but instead had discovered a "new world." The West Indies received its name because Columbus thought the people there were Indians.Added to timeline:
Date:
dec 16, 1492
Now
~ 533 years ago