Christopher Columbus first reached the Americas in 1492. He set sail from Spain in search of a westward route to Asia, but instead landed in the Bahamas. This expedition was significant as it marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization of the Americas. Columbus made a total of four voyages to the New World, fundamentally altering the course of history through the exchange of goods, cultures, and peoples between Europe and the Americas. His journeys led to widespread awareness of the Americas in Europe and initiated extensive transatlantic explorations and eventual colonization.