Answer:
The arrival of Europeans in the Pacific Islands in the early 16th century transformed the cultures, populations, and economies of the Pacific Islands to varying extents. The contact began with passing explorers and then, from the late 18th century, by the influence of more permanent visitors such as castaways, beachcombers. The French took control of the Society Islands and nearby archipelagoes beginning in 1842. They also established missionary control of Wallis and Futuna. In Melanesia events transpired differently.
In contrast, European contact with the Americas began in 1492 with Christopher Columbus's discovery of America. The Spanish were the first Europeans to establish a permanent settlement in America in 1565 at St. Augustine.
The similarities between European contact and eventual settlement in the Pacific and Americas include the introduction of new diseases that decimated native populations and the establishment of trade networks that brought new goods to both regions.