Christopher Columbus is the famous explorer known for his voyages to the Americas. Although he was not the first European to reach the continent (that distinction is often attributed to the Norse explorer Leif Erikson), Columbus’s expeditions in 1492 marked the beginning of widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas. Sponsored by the Spanish Crown, his voyages were significant for the “discovery” of new lands and the subsequent exchange of goods, cultures, and peoples, often referred to as the Columbian Exchange. Columbus's legacy is complex, as it includes both exploration and the negative impacts of colonization.