Christopher Columbus first arrived in the Americas in 1492. He set sail from Spain in search of a westward route to Asia, but instead, he reached the Bahamas on October 12 of that year. This landmark voyage marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization in the Americas. Columbus's expeditions opened the way for the exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas between the Old World and the New World, significantly altering the course of history and leading to the subsequent establishment of European colonies in the Caribbean and beyond.