Final answer:
Christopher Columbus's fleet first landed on October 12, 1492, in the Bahamas, on an island later named San Salvador, marking a pivotal moment in history.
Step-by-step explanation:
Christopher Columbus's Initial Landing:
On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus's fleet made its first landfall in the New World on an island in the Bahamas. This island was later named San Salvador. Columbus believed he had reached Asia and subsequently explored other islands such as Hispaniola and Cuba, which are part of the Greater Antilles. Columbus's voyages led to significant impacts, including the colonization of the Americas and the spread of European influence.
Columbus's discovery was consequential, although he never realized during his lifetime that he had encountered a new continent. Instead, he mistook the lands he visited for the East Indies, calling the native people he encountered there Indios, which led to the term 'Indian' for native peoples of the Americas. Columbus's erroneous views and initial landfall ignited a series of events that forever changed the history and geography of the world.