Christopher Columbus first landed in the New World on October 12, 1492, on an island he named San Salvador. This island is believed by many scholars to be present-day San Salvador Island in the Bahamas, although some evidence suggests it could be Samana Cay, located about 80 miles southeast of San Salvador Island

. The native inhabitants called the island Guanahani. After this initial landing, Columbus continued exploring nearby islands, including Cuba and Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic)