1400s[]
- 1485 – Columbus presents to John II of Portugal his plans: The king will gather three ships for Columbus and give him one year’s time to sail to the Orient and back in the Atlantic. In addition, he will be named “Grand Admiral of the Ocean,” named governor of the new lands, and be granted 1/10 of their revenue.
- POD: John II doesn’t consult his advisor and approves the plan.
- 1486 – Columbus sets out from Lisbon on April 15, with three ships: Rainha, Adelina, and Sagres. He stops over at the Azores islands and Flores, islands far away in the Atlantic owned by Portugal, meaning that he has a very short distance to travel without provisions. The expedition notably has a large number of Jews and Muslims. During his voyage, the ships sail farther down south. On June 31, Jewish sailor Miguel del-Canho spots land. The next day, Columbus makes landfall at a large island (OTL Puerto Rico). They first meet the friendly Taíno natives, who call the island Boriquén. Columbus adopts the name. He sails west along the coast for a few days and discovers a natural harbor (OTL San Juan) on the Feast of Saint Thomas, which he names São Tomás.
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