Many theories of Christopher Columbus' origins exist, but none have yet been proved. Some suggest that Columbus was a Catalan nobleman who rebelled against King Ferdinand's father, King John II, by engaging in piracy on behalf of the French, and then hid his origins to win favor with the son. Others maintain that he was the illegitimate child of Prince Carlos de Viana, a Majorcan nobleman related to Ferdinand and Isabella. Still others suggest that Columbus was a Jew whose family fled to Genoa to escape persecution.
Now Portuguese historian Manuel Rosa says that Columbus was really the son of exiled Polish King Vladislav III and a Portuguese noblewoman, and that he lied to protect his father's true identity.
Many paintings of Columbus show that he was red-haired, fair-skinned and blue-eyed -- all features more common in Poland than in Italy. Rosa said there's plenty of evidence to support his theory, but his next project will try to back up his thesis indisputably -- with DNA evidence.
"I have made a request to the Cathedral in Krakov to examine remains from the tomb of Vladislav II, who could turn out to be the grandfather of Columbus," Rosa told the Telegraph. "It would prove the truth of my theory."
You can read more in an online article by Lauren Frayer at http://goo.gl/Cyrf9