Final answer:
Christopher Columbus first encountered the Taínos people in the Caribbean Islands in 1492, marking the beginning of the colonization of the Americas.
Step-by-step explanation:
Christopher Columbus first encountered the Taínos people when he arrived at the Caribbean Islands in 1492. He mistakenly believed that he had reached the East Indies and referred to the native inhabitants as 'Indios', which gave rise to the term 'Indian' for the native people of the New World. This encounter marked the beginning of the colonization of the Americas and the establishment of the first Spanish colony in the region.