Emily: Hi Chris!
Chris: I would prefer it if you called me Christopher.
Emily: Oh…Im sorry Christopher.
Chris: No, its okay hah. I was just kidding. Call me Chris.
Emily: Oh, okay hahah. So tell me a little about yourself.
Chris: In 1451 I was born in Genona. I am Italian by birth, but I taught myself to read and speak Spanish. I also taught myself to read Latin. I later adopted Spanish as my first language. In 1466, at the age of 14, I first went to sea.
Emily: That’s cool, Im 14 now!
Chris: That’s interesting. I later settled in Portugal, and married my wife there. But sadly she died in 1485.
Emily: Oh, im sorry to hear that.
Chris: Its okay, she left me with my son Diego. We moved to Spain together. I had wanted to go exploring for a while. But the King and Queen would not fund my expedition. Then, finally, they agreed. I had wanted to spread Christianity and establish a better trade with China. August 8th, 1492, I set out on my journey. I set sail from Palos, Spain. Then, Oct 12th, around 2 am, I sighted the Bahamas which, at the time, I thought was Japan.
Emily: That must have been a surprise!
Chris: Yes it was. I traveled from one island to the next down there. On Jan 16th- 1493, we took off again, but only with two ships, one sank down there. When we were back in Spain, I was appointed admiral of the sea!
Emily: That must have made you happy!
Chris: It really did. Then, six months later, I set out for china again. I set out a few more times, but only found Hispaniola.
Emily: That’s disappointing.
Chris: I guess so, but on May 20, 1506, I died due to an awful illness. I was 54 at the time. I died without ever knowing I discovered a new continent.
Emily: Well now you know!
Chris: That’s true I guess. But I really must be off now.
Emily: That’s okay, thanks for your time!
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