Christopher Columbus first landed in the New World on October 12, 1492, on an island he named San Salvador. This island is widely believed to be present-day San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, although some evidence suggests it could be Samana Cay, also in the Bahamas

. The native inhabitants called the island Guanahani. After this initial landing, Columbus explored other islands in the Caribbean, including Cuba and Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic)

. His voyages marked the beginning of European exploration and colonization in the Americas.