Answer: Christopher Columbus
The term "Pre-Columbian" is used to designate all history and prehistory of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus. However, in a broader sense, it refers to all culture and history of the Americas before significant European influences arrived to the continent. Therefore, the date of 1492 is not a definite line, as many cultures continued to develop in the same way for years or decades after that date (and some pockets of pre-Columbian cultures survive to this day). The term "pre-Hispanic" has a similar meaning in Latin American history.