Christopher Columbus is credited with rediscovering the Americas in 1492. Although he was not the first to reach the continent (Viking explorers, such as Leif Erikson, arrived centuries earlier), Columbus's voyages marked the beginning of widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas. Sponsored by Spain, Columbus aimed to find a westward route to Asia but instead landed in the Bahamas, leading to subsequent voyages that explored parts of the Caribbean and Central America. His expeditions had profound effects on world history and initiated significant cultural exchange between Europe and the Americas.