Who was the first European explore the new world?

The first European known to explore the New World was Christopher Columbus, who made his famous voyage across the Atlantic in 1492. Sponsored by Spain, Columbus aimed to find a western route to Asia but instead encountered the islands of the Caribbean, marking the beginning of sustained European exploration and colonization of the Americas. While he is often credited with "discovering" the New World, indigenous peoples had been living there for thousands of years prior to his arrival.