Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who lived from 1451 to 1506. He wanted to find a new route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1492, he embarked on his first voyage, sailing west and eventually discovering several islands in the Caribbean including San Salvador and Cuba, believing he had reached Asia. Over subsequent voyages from 1493 to 1502, he explored more islands in the Caribbean and coastal regions of South and Central America, though he never realized he had discovered a new continent.