10-07-2022, 12:40 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: ABQ, New Mexico
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The Niņa, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria weren't the names of Christopher Columbus's ships
When it comes to Columbus, the only fact that the history books really have right is that he sailed in 1492. First of all, he didn't "discover" America—people had already been living on the continent for thousands of years, after all. And he wasn't even the first European explorer to reach North America; a crew of Vikings actually sailed to Canada around 1000 AD. Even the oft-repeated names of his three ships aren't historically accurate. In the 15th century, most sailing ships were named after saints, so while the Santa Maria is probably the real name, the Niņa and the Pinta were probably just casual sailor nicknames for more piously named vessels. According to history.com, the Niņa's real name was most likely "the Santa Clara," while the Pinta's real name is unknown.
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