1992 EUROPA - Spain - 500th Anniversary of the voyages of Christopher Columbus 5.5.1992

These two stamps issued by Spain  on 5.5.1992 were on account of the ongoing EUROPA CEPT series of stamps. The theme for EUROPA stamps in 1992 was “Discovery of America” commemorating the 500^th Anniversary of the voyages of Christopher Columbus to the New World. 

In the early modern period, the voyages of Christopher Columbus initiated European exploration and colonization of the American continents and are thus of great significance in world history. Christopher Columbus was a navigator and an admiral for Spain. He made four voyages to the Americas, the first being in 1492 which resulted in the "discovery of America" from a European point of view.

The discovery of America has been attributed to others depending on context and definition. Some argue that Asians migrating across the Bering Strait to North America in prehistoric times (between 12,000 and 42,000 years ago) were the first to "discover" America. Others point to the Vikings which established a short-lived settlement in Newfoundland circa 1000. While Columbus was possibly not the first European to voyage to the New World and did not reach the mainland until his third voyage in 1498, his discovery led to the widespread knowledge of the existence of a new continent, for the first time in history. The breakthrough in geographical science led to the colonization of the New World by major European sea powers and is sometimes cited as the start of the Modern Era.

Thank you Maria.