Appendix D: Chronology of Christopher Columbus’ Life
c. 600 BC . . . . . . Nephi prophesies of Columbus’s journey.
AD 1451 . . . . . . . Columbus born in Genoa, between 25 August and 31 October.
c. 1471 . . . . . . . . Voyage to Tunis.
1474–75 . . . . . . . One or two voyages to Chios.
1476 . . . . . . . . . . Moves to Portugal.
1477 . . . . . . . . . . Voyage to Iceland.
1478–79 . . . . . . . Voyage to Madeira Islands.
1479 . . . . . . . . . . Marriage to Dona Felipa Perestrello e Moniz.
1480 . . . . . . . . . . First son, Diego, born at Porto Santo.
1480–81 . . . . . . . Correspondence with Paolo Toscanelli of Florence.
1482–84 . . . . . . . At least one voyage to the Gold Coast of Africa.
1484–85 . . . . . . . Proposes “Enterprise of the Indies” to King John II of Portugal.
Dona Felipa dies.
1485 . . . . . . . . . . Moves to Spain.
1486 . . . . . . . . . . First proposal to Spanish crown; Enterprise is rejected.
1487 . . . . . . . . . . Placed on Spanish royal payroll.
1488 . . . . . . . . . . Removed from Spanish payroll. Columbus accepts King John’s invitation to return to Portugal. Second son, Ferdinand, is born.
1489 . . . . . . . . . . Second proposal upon returning to Spain.
1490 . . . . . . . . . . Second proposal rejected.
1491 . . . . . . . . . . Third proposal to Spanish sovereigns.
1492
January . . . . . . . . Third proposal rejected; Santangel intercedes, Queen agrees to sponsor Enterprise.
First Voyage
3 August . . . . . . . Departs Palos, Spain, with three ships.
12 August . . . . . . Arrives at Canary Islands.
6 September . . . . Begins ocean passage, course due west.
9 September . . . . Leaves sight of land.
23 September . . . Sea rises “without wind.”
7 October . . . . . . Course changed to west-southwest.
10 October . . . . . Crew threatens mutiny.
11 October . . . . . Course changed back to due west.
12 October . . . . . Land sighted at San Salvador.
28 October . . . . . Lands at Cuba.
6 December . . . . Arrives at Hispaniola.
24 December . . . Santa María runs aground at La Navidad.
26 December . . . Construction of fort begins at La Navidad.
1493
16 January . . . . . Fleet sails for Spain
12 February . . . . Violent storm arises.
14 February . . . . Niña and Pinta separated in gale.
15 February . . . . Niña sights Azores.
4 March . . . . . . . Columbus arrives at Lisbon, Portugal.
15 March . . . . . . Arrives at Palos, Spain.
Second Voyage
25 September . . . Fleet of 17 ships sails from Cadiz, Spain.
3 November . . . . Landfall at Dominica; Coumbus anchors at Mariagalante.
4–19 November . Passes Guadeloupe, Nevis, St. Kitts, St. Croix, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
27 November . . . Arrives at La Navidad; finds settlement destroyed.
1494
2 January . . . . . . Arrives at Isabela; founds city.
24 April–29 September. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Explores Caribbean.
1495
Columbus spends entire year struggling to maintain peace and order on Hispaniola. Consents to the enslavement of Caribbean natives.
1496
10 March . . . . . . Columbus departs for Spain.
11 June . . . . . . . . Arrives at Cadiz, Spain.
c. 1497
Under Admiral’s direction, Santo Domingo founded by Bartholomew Columbus while Christopher is in Spain.
1498
Third Voyage
30 May . . . . . . . . Departs Spain for New World with six ships.
13–22 July . . . . . Fleet stalled in Doldrums.
31 July . . . . . . . . Landfall at Trinidad.
1 August . . . . . . . First sighting of South America (Venezuela).
6 August . . . . . . . Lands on South American mainland, and takes possession of Venezuela.
31 August . . . . . . Anchors off Hispaniola.
October . . . . . . . . Francisco Roldán leads rebellion in Hispaniola.
1499
September . . . . . . Columbus makes temporary peace with rebels.
1500
23 August . . . . . . Francisco de Bobadilla lands at Santo Domingo, arrests Columbus and his brother.
early October . . . Columbus sent to Spain as a prisoner in chains.
late October . . . . Arrives Cadiz, Spain.
12 December . . . Monarchs order Columbus released; summon him to court.
17 December . . . Audience with Monarchs at Alhambra, Spain.
1501
3 September . . . . Nicolas de Ovando named new governor of Hispaniola.
1502
13 February . . . . Ovando sails for New World with 30 ships.
February . . . . . . . Christopher remains in Spain to work on Book of Prophecies.
Fourth Voyage
9 May . . . . . . . . . Columbus sets sail from Cadiz, Spain, for Americas with four ships.
15 June . . . . . . . . Landfall at Martinique.
30 July–5 October
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Explores Central America; discovers Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
1503
6 January . . . . . . Anchors off coast of Panama at Río Belén.
6 April . . . . . . . . Battle of Belén. Columbus hears “compassionate voice” call him to repentance.
1504
12 September . . . Columbus departs for Spain.
7 November . . . . Arrives Sanlúcar, Spain.
1506
20 May . . . . . . . Dies at Valladolid, Spain.
1830
Nephi’s prophecy of Columbus is published in Book of Mormon
1877
21 August . . . . . Wilford Woodruff was baptized vicariously for Christopher Columbus in the St. George Temple.
24 August . . . . . Christopher Columbus was vicariously endowed and ordained a High Priest in the St. George Temple.
