Christopher Columbus vs Amerigo Vespucci
Who? Pick one and see how the world splits.
- Christopher Columbus Italy · 1451–1506 64% · #10 in the world
- Amerigo Vespucci Italy · 1454–1512 36% · #87 in the world
What the votes say
The world picks Christopher Columbus over Amerigo Vespucci, 64% to 36%. Christopher Columbus is #10 of the 185 thinkers in the world ranking and Amerigo Vespucci #87; among the 13 from Italy, they are #3 and #9.
The case for each
Christopher Columbus: The Genoese sailor who crossed the Atlantic for Spain in 1492 and reached the Caribbean, believing to the end that it was Asia. Four voyages opened the age of European conquest in the Americas.
Amerigo Vespucci: The Florentine navigator whose voyages around 1500 led to the claim that the new lands were a separate continent, not Asia. The mapmaker Waldseemüller named it 'America' after Vespucci in 1507.
Side by side
| Christopher Columbus | Amerigo Vespucci | |
|---|---|---|
| World rank | #10 | #87 |
| Country | Italy | Italy |
| Lived | 1451–1506 | 1454–1512 |