Important Facts About Christopher Columbus

As a reward for his successful voyage of discovery, the Spanish sovereigns granted Columbus the right to bear arms.

According to the blazon specified in letters patent dated May 20, 1493, Christopher Columbus was to bear in the first and the second quarters the royal charges of Castile and Leon -- the castle and the lion -- but with different tinctures or colors. In the third quarter would be islands in a wavy sea, and in the fourth, the customary arms of his family.

The earlist graphic representation of Columbus's arms is found in his Book of Privileges and shows the significant modifications Columbus ordered by his own authority.

The First Voyage:

1492/8/3        Departs from Palos, Spain (near Huelva)
1492/9/6        Departs Gomera (Canary Islands) after repair and refit.
1492/10/12    New world sighted at 2:00 a.m. by Rodrigo de Triana, somewhere in the Bahamas.
1492/10/29     Arrives at Cuba.
1492/11/22     Martín Alonso Pinzón, captain of the Pinta, deserts the expedition off Cuba.
1492/12/5       Columbus arrives at Hispaniola.
1492/12/25     Flagship Santa Maria sinks off Hispaniola. Columbus founds La Navidad.
1493/1/6        Pinzón rejoins Columbus.
1493/1/16       Columbus departs Hispaniola for Spain in the Niña.
1493/2/14       Niña and Pinta are separated again in a fierce storm.
1493/2/15       Sights Santa Maria Island in the Azores.
1493/3/4        Arrives at Lisbon, Portugal.
1493/3/15       Niña and Pinta return separately to Palos, Spain.
 

The Second Voyage:

1493/9/11      The Grand Fleet of 17 ships departs Cádiz.
1493/10/13     Departs Hierro (Canary Islands), sailing WSW
1493/11/3      The island of Dominica sighted at dawn; Guadeloupe shortly after.
1493/11/22     Arrives at Hispaniola.
1493/11/28     Returns to Navidad, finds fort destroyed.
1493/12/8      Founds new colony of La Isabela.
1494/4/24      Sails from Isabela in search of mainland.
1494/4/30      Arrives at Cuba.
1494/5/5        Arrives at Jamaica.
1494/5/14      Returns to Cuba.
1494/6/13      Starts the return to Hispaniola.
1494/8/20      Returns to La Isabela on Hispaniola and takes up his role of governor.
1494-1495      Open warfare breaks out between the colonial Spaniards and the Taino.
1496/3/10      Departs from La Isabela for Spain.
1496/6/8       Reaches the coast of Portugal.
 

The Third Voyage:

1498/5/30      Departs from Sanlucar, Spain, with six ships.
1498/6/19    Arrives at Gomera (Canary Islands); splits fleet into two squadrons. While one squadron makes for Hispaniola, Columbus heads for the Cape Verde Islands and a more southerly route across the Atlantic.
1498/7/4       Departs from the Cape Verde Islands.
1498/7/31     Arrives at Trinidad.
1498/8/13     Leaves the Gulf of Paria, arrives at Margarita.
1498/8/19     Arrives at the new city of Santo Domingo on Hispaniola. Columbus resumes his role as governor of the colony.
1500/10/1      Columbus is arrested and sent home in chains.
 

The Fourth Voyage:

1502/5/11     Departs from Cádiz, Spain, with four ships.
1502/6/29     Arrives at Santo Domingo, Hispaniola.
1502/7/30     Arrives at the Mosquito Coast, modern Nicaragua.
1503/1/9      Establishes garrison at Rio Belen.
1503/4/6      Garrison attacked by Indians and abandoned.
1503/4/16     Leaves Rio Belen for home.
1503/6/25     Sinking ships beached and abandoned at Jamaica, marooning crew.
1504/6/29     Crew rescued from Jamaica after more than a year on the island.
1504/11/7     Columbus returns to Spain.
1506/5/20     Columbus dies at Valladolid.

In addition to the royal charges that were authorized in the top quarters, Columbus adopted the royal colors as well, added a continent among the islands in the third quarter, and for the fourth quarter borrowed five anchors in fess from the blazon of the Admiral of Castille.

Columbus's bold usurpation of the royal arms, as well as his choice of additional symbols, help to define his personality and his sense of the significance of his service to the Spanish monarchs.