Discovery of America (theories)

The discovery of America is believed to have occurred around 500 years ago when explorers from Europe, notably Christopher Columbus in 1492, reached the continent. The traditional theory suggests that people from Asia migrated across the Bering Land Bridge thousands of years earlier, creating indigenous cultures. Some theories propose that other explorers, like the Vikings led by Leif Erikson, reached North America centuries before Columbus. Additionally, there are hypotheses about early transoceanic contact from Pacific or African navigators. Overall, multiple theories explore how and when the Americas were first populated and "discovered" from different perspectives.