Christopher Columbus astronomy, and history. He formulated a plan to seek a western sea passage to the East Indies, hoping to profit from the lucrative spice trade. After years of lobbying, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain agreed to sponsor a journey west, in the name of the Crown of Castile. Columbus left Spain in August 1492 with three ships, and after a stopover in the Canary Islands made landfall in the Americas on 12 October (now celebrated as Columbus Day). His landing place was an island in the Bahamas, known by its native inhabitants as Guanahani; its exact location is uncertain. Columbus
Abortion in Chile Abortion in Chile Abortion in Chile is legal in the following cases: when the mother's life is at risk, when the fetus will not survive the pregnancy, and in the case of rape during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (14 weeks, if the woman is under 14 years old). Between 1989 and 2017 Chile had one of the most restrictive abortion policies in the world, criminalizing its practice without exception. The bill permitting abortion was approved by the National Congress in August 2017, and became law a month later after surviving a constitutional challenge brought by the conservative opposition.