DESCRIPTION:
1492: Conquest of Paradise is an epic 1992 European adventure/drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Roselyne Bosch, which tells the story of the discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus (Gérard Depardieu) and the effect this had on the indigenous people. The film was released for the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage.
Did Columbus find the Americas first?

The short answer is, "No." From a strictly Eurocentric point of view, the Vikings showed up about 500 years before Columbus did, if vastly farther north. Leif Eriksson is widely recognized as having reached North America around 1000 AD, and archaeologists found remnants of a Viking settlement in Canada (Newfoundland) in the mid 20th century that confirmed this historical reality. Given that Columbus did not arrive until 1492, the findings in Canada put the question neatly to rest for the academic and historical community.