Born in Genoa, Italy in 1449, as a young man he sailed the Atlantic as an apprentice seaman and became obsessed with finding an all-water route to India with its wealth of silks and spices. After many rejections, he got the financial backing he needed to make his first voyage. What happened during and after that voyage set the stage for his next three explorations; and the controversy about his intentions and actions that make his reputation and legacy come into question.