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Events on Wednesday 12 October 1492 2
1415 – 1492Piero della FrancescaRenaissance · ItalyPiero della Francesca (c. 1415 – October 12, 1492) was an Italian Renaissance master renowned for his serene, geometric compositions and innovative use of perspective and light.
1492Columbus reaches the AmericasA new world enters European scientific knowledgeOn 12 October 1492, Christopher Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas, opening sustained contact between Europe and the Americas. Beyond its enormous historical consequences, the discovery revolutionised geography, biology, botany, zoology, and medicine — introducing Europe to hundreds of unknown species, new foods, and entirely different ecosystems. It also demonstrated that the Earth was larger than ancient geographers had believed and accelerated the development of accurate global cartography.