The Truth About Columbus Day: Myths, Lies, and Lost Discoveries

Every October, America celebrates Columbus Day, honoring Christopher Columbus and his 1492 voyage across the Atlantic. But the truth is far more complex — and darker — than the story most of us learned.

Columbus never set foot in what is now the United States. He believed he had reached Asia, not a “New World.” And centuries before his arrival, the Vikings, led by Leif Erikson, had already landed in North America — proven by archaeological discoveries at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland.

But even the Vikings weren’t the first. Indigenous civilizations thrived in the Americas for thousands of years before European contact — rich cultures, vast trade networks, and monumental architecture. Columbus’s arrival didn’t mark discovery; it marked conquest, colonization, and devastation for those who were already here.

Was Columbus a daring explorer — or the symbol of a rewritten history? Join The Nocturnal Archives as we uncover the forgotten truth behind Columbus Day, the myths of discovery, and the civilizations history tried to erase.