Christopher Columbus is the famous explorer known for his voyages to the Americas in the late 15th century. His expeditions, funded by Spain, aimed to find a westward route to Asia, but instead led to the European discovery of the New World. Columbus's journeys in 1492 and subsequent years sparked widespread European interest in exploration and colonization. His legacy is complex, involving both the initial contact between Europe and the Americas and the subsequent impact on indigenous populations, shaping the course of world history.