Love him or hate him, Christopher Columbus changed the world forever. Of course, to say that he "discovered" America is wrong on several counts. What has become known as the Americas was already populated by an incredibly diverse network of indigenous people. Other explorers also came before him. But Columbus's "rediscovery" is clearly significant in that he signaled the mass settlement of America by European peoples.

Embarking on the journey itself, and convincing others to not only fund the journey and join him on it, is one of the most remarkable aspects of the story of Columbus. Likewise, his rise and fall -- from hero to outcast -- paints a full picture of the complexity of the man and his times. The fact that he died not fully understanding or recognizing what he had done, or where he had been, dramatizes even further the story of Columbus. (He apparently died thinking he had encountered islands just off the coast of the Asia continent.)

Only now, with the benefit of over 500 years of hindsight and reflection, can we begin to take in what his journey meant and and how it forever changed the world.