Final answer:
Christopher Columbus, funded by Spanish monarchs, mistakenly landed in the Caribbean in 1492 believing he reached Asia; his discovery ushered in an era of European exploration of the Americas.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1492, Christopher Columbus, sponsored by Spanish monarchs Isabella I of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon, embarked on a historic voyage with the aim of finding a western route to Asia. Instead, on October 12, 1492, he made landfall in the Caribbean, specifically on an island in what is now the Bahamas. Columbus believed he had reached the Indies (Asia), not realizing that he had discovered a new continent.
This monumental event inaugurated an era of European exploration and colonization in the Americas. Columbus's voyages paved the way for subsequent explorations, including those by Amerigo Vespucci, whose name would later be associated with the newly recognized continents. Columbus's accidental encounter with the Americas significantly impacted world history, initiating an era of cultural exchange, colonization, and global interconnectedness.