Columbus Reaches Hispaniola

Columbus reaches the island he names La Isla Española (Hispaniola), home to the Taíno kingdom of Cacique Guacanagari. The Taíno help Columbus recover cargo when the Santa María runs aground on Christmas Day (December 25). Columbus orders the construction of a small fort, La Navidad, from the ship's timbers — the first European settlement in the Americas. He leaves 39 men behind when he sails back to Spain.