Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for widespread European exploration and the eventual conquest of the Americas by Europeans. He is often credited with the discovery of the New World, although there were already indigenous peoples living there. Columbus's voyages led to the establishment of lasting European contact with the Americas and initiated the period of European exploration and colonization of the Americas. His expeditions had a significant impact on the history of the world, leading to the eventual colonization and settlement of the Americas by Europeans.