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
Amerindian Heritage Month (Guyana) Amerindian Heritage Month (Guyana) Amerindian Heritage Month is an annual observance that is held every September in Guyana in honour of Guyana's indigenous peoples. Amerindian Heritage Month has its beginnings in Amerindian commemorations of 10 September 1957 - the day on which Stephen Campbell became Guyana's first Amerindian Member of Parliament. On 10 September 1995, Guyana's Prime Minister, Cheddi Jagan, officially designated September as Amerindian Heritage Month. In memory of Campbell's achievement, 10 September is still celebrated as "Heritage Day". The official opening of Amerindian Heritage Month celebrations takes place at the Umana Yana on the first day of September.