| On this day Christopher Columbus sailed from Palos, Spain, with three small ships—the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María. The explorer was searching for a westward route to India. His navigational genius showed itself immediately, as his fleet dropped down to the Canary Islands, off the northwest African mainland, rather than sailing due west to the Azores. The westerlies prevailing in the Azores had defeated previous sailors to the west, but in the Canaries they could pick up the northeast trade ... |