Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy in 1451. He believed he could find a shortcut to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain agreed to finance Columbus' voyage, providing him three ships - the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. After two months at sea, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas, naming the native people "Indians" as he insisted he had found Asia. In reality, Columbus had discovered North America, a new continent.