Even today, the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus is a controversial figure. Learn about his life and voyages, and why there is so much disagreement about his legacy. [4:48]

Examines the Italian explorer John Cabot. He is believed to be the first European to set foot on mainland North America, landing in Newfoundland. His voyages to the new land were financed by King Henry VII of England. [4:23]

Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer who is recognized as the first person to understand that the new land was not Asia. He did this by applying his cartography skills and mapping the stars he saw in the Southern Hemisphere. He is...