President Donald Trump is taking steps toward installing near the White House a replica of a statue of famed explorer Christopher Columbus that had been tossed into Baltimore’s harbor during his first term amid protests against institutional racism.


Trump's Latest Plan For White House Makeover 

Spanish scientists said on Saturday (Oct 12) that 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus wasn’t Italian but a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, according to a new genetic study.&nbsp;

Several nations have debated the divisive figure's origins and final burial place. Many scientists have also questioned the traditional theories that Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy.&nbsp;

To shed light on this long-running debate, scientists conducted a 22-year investigation, led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente, by testing the tiny pieces of remains buried in Seville Cathedral, which is believed to be Columbus'&nbsp;last resting place. However, there have been rival claims.&nbsp;

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They compared them with some known descendants and relatives of Cristopher, and the findings were announced in a documentary titled “Columbus DNA: The True Origin” on Spain's national broadcaster TVE on Saturday.&nbsp;

Lorente said in the programme, "We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son." He added, " and both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin."

Around 30,000 Jews resided in Spain before the ‘Reyes Catolicos’, Catholic monarch Isabella ordered Muslims and Jews to convert to the Catholic faith or leave the country. Several people moved around the world. Lorente said, after analysing 25 possible places, it was only possible to say Columbus was born in Western Europe.&nbsp;

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Lorente also mentioned on Thursday that they have confirmed the previous theories and that the remains in Seville Cathedral belonged to Columbus. The research on Columbus's origins was complicated because of various factors including a large amount of data. But the findings are reliable, as per Lorente.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Christopher Columbus died in 1506 in Valladolid, Spain, but he wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola. His remains were taken there in 1542, then moved to Cuba in 1795, and then, it had been long though in Spain, to Seville Cathedral in 1898.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Spanish scientists said on Saturday (Oct 12) that 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus wasn’t Italian but a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, according to a new genetic study.

Spanish scientists said on Saturday (Oct 12) that 15th-century explorer Christopher Columbus wasn’t Italian but a Sephardic Jew from Western Europe, according to a new genetic study. Several nations have debated the divisive figure's origins and final burial place. Many scientists have also questioned the traditional theories that Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy. To shed light on this long-running debate, scientists conducted a 22-year investigation, led by forensic expert Miguel Lorente, by testing the tiny pieces of remains buried in Seville Cathedral, which is believed to be Columbus' last resting place. However, there have been rival claims. Also Read | Two IndiGo flights travelling from Mumbai to West Asia receive bomb threats They compared them with some known descendants and relatives of Cristopher, and the findings were announced in a documentary titled “Columbus DNA: The True Origin” on Spain's national broadcaster TVE on Saturday. Lorente said in the programme, "We have DNA from Christopher Columbus, very partial, but sufficient. We have DNA from Hernando Colón, his son." He added, " and both in the Y chromosome (male) and in the mitochondrial DNA (transmitted by the mother) of Hernando there are traits compatible with Jewish origin." Around 30,000 Jews resided in Spain before the ‘Reyes Catolicos’, Catholic monarch Isabella ordered Muslims and Jews to convert to the Catholic faith or leave the country. Several people moved around the world. Lorente said, after analysing 25 possible places, it was only possible to say Columbus was born in Western Europe. Also Read | China starts new round of war games near Taiwan- Top updates Lorente also mentioned on Thursday that they have confirmed the previous theories and that the remains in Seville Cathedral belonged to Columbus. The research on Columbus's origins was complicated because of various factors including a large amount of data. But the findings are reliable, as per Lorente. Christopher Columbus died in 1506 in Valladolid, Spain, but he wished to be buried on the island of Hispaniola. His remains were taken there in 1542, then moved to Cuba in 1795, and then, it had been long though in Spain, to Seville Cathedral in 1898. (With inputs from agencies)

Christopher Columbus was Sephardic Jew, study suggests 

A letter was written by Christopher Columbus in 1493 which changed the modern world's landscape. 
 
“I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen, our sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people,” Columbus wrote to royal treasurer Luis de Santángel, after writing back to Europe. “Of all, I have taken possession for their Highnesses,” he said. 
 
The events mentioned in the letter of Columbus were “the first report of a voyage that really did change the world," said his biographer Professor Felipe Fernández-Armesto, while speaking to The Observer.

<h2>Letter likely to fetch $1.5 million at Christie’s auction</h2>

The rare 1493 Latin translation of Columbus' letter, which was printed on an early printing press to narrate the news of “discoveries” of the travellers to elite Europeans, is likely to fetch up to £1.2 million ($1.5 million) at a Christie’s auction this month. 
 
“[In current times] Columbus has lost his former status as an honorary all-American hero and quasi-founding father, but notoriety rarely hurts one’s market value, especially in the US. Witness Donald Trump,” stated Fernández-Armesto.

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For the first time, the voyage of Columbus created “a viable, commercially exploitable route” across the Atlantic and started communications between long-sundered cultures on both sides of the ocean, said Fernández-Armesto. 
 
In the letter, the rich natural assets which were found by Columbus on the islands were praised in the letter. The traveller also portrayed the “extraordinarily timid” native people he encountered there as “so unsuspicious and so generous” they are “like fools”. 
 
“Like him or not, you can’t deny Columbus’s importance,” said Fernandez-Armesto, as reported by The Observer.

WATCH |&nbsp;Titanic: Kate Winslet's iconic coat made of pink wool up for auction | WION Newspoint

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For almost a century, the document was kept in a private Swiss collection and has been described by Christie’s as “the earliest obtainable edition of Columbus’s letter”, whose international publication led to one of the first “media frenzies” for the printed word. 
 
“The significance of the letter is its wide diffusion, thanks to the printing press,” stated Professor Geoffrey Symcox from the University of California, Los Angeles, while speaking to The Observer. 
 
Symcox said that the experts used cutting-edge technology of that era after which copies of the letter were sent to the Spanish crown to the courts of Europe to stake Spain’s claim. “The news circulated rapidly, not just through diplomatic channels but mercantile channels as well,” he added.&nbsp;

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A letter was written by Christopher Columbus in 1493 which changed the modern world's landscape. “I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen, our sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people,” Columbus wrote to royal treasurer Luis de Santángel, after writing back to Europe.

A letter was written by Christopher Columbus in 1493 which changed the modern world's landscape. “I sailed to the Indies with the fleet that the illustrious King and Queen, our sovereigns, gave me, where I discovered a great many islands, inhabited by numberless people,” Columbus wrote to royal treasurer Luis de Santángel, after writing back to Europe. “Of all, I have taken possession for their Highnesses,” he said. The events mentioned in the letter of Columbus were “the first report of a voyage that really did change the world," said his biographer Professor Felipe Fernández-Armesto, while speaking to The Observer. Letter likely to fetch $1.5 million at Christie’s auction The rare 1493 Latin translation of Columbus' letter, which was printed on an early printing press to narrate the news of “discoveries” of the travellers to elite Europeans, is likely to fetch up to £1.2 million ($1.5 million) at a Christie’s auction this month. “[In current times] Columbus has lost his former status as an honorary all-American hero and quasi-founding father, but notoriety rarely hurts one’s market value, especially in the US. Witness Donald Trump,” stated Fernández-Armesto. ALSO READ | Appetising Attire: Donair sandwich costume up for auction fetches $11,900 For the first time, the voyage of Columbus created “a viable, commercially exploitable route” across the Atlantic and started communications between long-sundered cultures on both sides of the ocean, said Fernández-Armesto. In the letter, the rich natural assets which were found by Columbus on the islands were praised in the letter. The traveller also portrayed the “extraordinarily timid” native people he encountered there as “so unsuspicious and so generous” they are “like fools”. “Like him or not, you can’t deny Columbus’s importance,” said Fernandez-Armesto, as reported by The Observer. WATCH | Titanic: Kate Winslet's iconic coat made of pink wool up for auction | WION Newspoint For almost a century, the document was kept in a private Swiss collection and has been described by Christie’s as “the earliest obtainable edition of Columbus’s letter”, whose international publication led to one of the first “media frenzies” for the printed word. “The significance of the letter is its wide diffusion, thanks to the printing press,” stated Professor Geoffrey Symcox from the University of California, Los Angeles, while speaking to The Observer. Symcox said that the experts used cutting-edge technology of that era after which copies of the letter were sent to the Spanish crown to the courts of Europe to stake Spain’s claim. “The news circulated rapidly, not just through diplomatic channels but mercantile channels as well,” he added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Columbus' original letter announcing ‘discovery’ of America to go under the hammer

Ahead of Columbus Day, new discoveries raise new doubts about what the explorer truly anticipated to encounter on his journey.&nbsp;

According to a new study of historical texts, mariners from Christopher Columbus' Italian homeland knew about America 150 years before its famed 'discovery.'

Professor Paolo Chiesa, a Medieval Latin literature scholar, has uncovered a "astonishing" finding of a "extraordinary" paragraph alluding to a location we now know as North America while transcribing and describing a roughly 1345 manuscript by a Milanese monk, Galvaneus Flamma.&nbsp;

According to Chiesa, the old essay – unearthed in 2013 – shows that sailors from Genoa were already aware of this country, known as 'Markland'/'Marckalada' – described by some Icelandic texts and recognised by researchers as part of North America's Atlantic coast (usually assumed to be Labrador or Newfoundland).

The finding, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Terrae Incognitae, comes ahead of Columbus Day 2021, which is also known as Indigenous Peoples' Day in several places throughout the United States.

The discoveries add fuel to the ongoing debate about 'what, exactly, did Columbus expect to encounter when he ventured out over the ocean?' They also come after a time in which his sculptures were decapitated, smeared in crimson paint, lassoed around the head and dragged down, burned on fire, and thrown into a lake.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of Columbus Day, new discoveries raise new doubts about what the explorer truly anticipated to encounter on his journey. According to a new study of historical texts, mariners from Christopher Columbus' Italian homeland knew about America 150 years before its famed 'discovery.

Ahead of Columbus Day, new discoveries raise new doubts about what the explorer truly anticipated to encounter on his journey. According to a new study of historical texts, mariners from Christopher Columbus' Italian homeland knew about America 150 years before its famed 'discovery.' Professor Paolo Chiesa, a Medieval Latin literature scholar, has uncovered a "astonishing" finding of a "extraordinary" paragraph alluding to a location we now know as North America while transcribing and describing a roughly 1345 manuscript by a Milanese monk, Galvaneus Flamma. According to Chiesa, the old essay – unearthed in 2013 – shows that sailors from Genoa were already aware of this country, known as 'Markland'/'Marckalada' – described by some Icelandic texts and recognised by researchers as part of North America's Atlantic coast (usually assumed to be Labrador or Newfoundland). The finding, which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Terrae Incognitae, comes ahead of Columbus Day 2021, which is also known as Indigenous Peoples' Day in several places throughout the United States. The discoveries add fuel to the ongoing debate about 'what, exactly, did Columbus expect to encounter when he ventured out over the ocean?' They also come after a time in which his sculptures were decapitated, smeared in crimson paint, lassoed around the head and dragged down, burned on fire, and thrown into a lake. (With inputs from agencies)

Italian sailors knew of America 150 years before Christopher Columbus 

A statue of explorer Christopher Columbus that was removed last year in Mexico City will be replaced by a statue of an Indigenous woman to honour the country’s native people, the mayor of Mexico City said Sunday.

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico City announced that the Columbus statue, which had stood in a roundabout at the Paseo de la Reforma, would be replaced by a statue honouring Indigenous women.

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“We’ll place a statue dedicated to the Indigenous woman,” she said in a news conference Sunday, which was the Day of the Indigenous Woman. “We owe it to them. We exist because of them. It is the history of our country and our homeland.”

She said the statue would go up as soon as Oct. 12, Dia de la Raza, a day to recognize the legacies of Columbus and Indigenous cultures.

In Mexico City, the Columbus statue was removed last year before Oct. 12 for restoration work, according to The Associated Press. After, graffiti covered metal barriers that surrounded the area, reading in Spanish, “Christopher Columbus killer!! We’ve already knocked him down!!”

Monuments to Columbus, the Italian navigator who sailed to the Americas on behalf of Spain in 1492, have drawn objections and protests for at least a century, with many describing him as a founding father of colonialism in the Western Hemisphere and the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

In the United States, a growing number of states, cities and towns have moved to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, a federal holiday — sometimes inspiring a backlash.

The moves follow long-standing calls by Native American groups, which argue that Columbus’ travels led to the genocide of Indigenous populations in the Americas, to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day.

Last year, protesters around the world damaged statues depicting Columbus after demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis grew to focus on monuments that were seen as symbols of white supremacy and oppression.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/mexico-city-marks-columbus-day-without-statue-335035/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In St. Paul, Minnesota, a group of protesters tied ropes around the neck of a 10-foot bronze sculpture of Columbus and yanked it from its pedestal. In Boston, the head of a statue of Columbus in the North End was removed, and pieces of it were found nearby.

And in Richmond, Virginia, a Columbus statue was torn down and tossed into a lake in a city park during a demonstration in support of Indigenous peoples.

When the Mexico City statue was removed last year, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico said that Columbus Day was “a date that is very controversial and lends itself to conflicting ideas and political conflicts.”

The Columbus statue will be moved to Parque América in the city’s Polanco neighbourhood, Sheinbaum said.

A statue of explorer Christopher Columbus that was removed last year in Mexico City will be replaced by a statue of an Indigenous woman to honour the country’s native people, the mayor of Mexico City said Sunday.

A statue of explorer Christopher Columbus that was removed last year in Mexico City will be replaced by a statue of an Indigenous woman to honour the country’s native people, the mayor of Mexico City said Sunday. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico City announced that the Columbus statue, which had stood in a roundabout at the Paseo de la Reforma, would be replaced by a statue honouring Indigenous women. Also read | Mexico removes Columbus statue ahead of annual protest against his arrival in Americas “We’ll place a statue dedicated to the Indigenous woman,” she said in a news conference Sunday, which was the Day of the Indigenous Woman. “We owe it to them. We exist because of them. It is the history of our country and our homeland.” She said the statue would go up as soon as Oct. 12, Dia de la Raza, a day to recognize the legacies of Columbus and Indigenous cultures. In Mexico City, the Columbus statue was removed last year before Oct. 12 for restoration work, according to The Associated Press. After, graffiti covered metal barriers that surrounded the area, reading in Spanish, “Christopher Columbus killer!! We’ve already knocked him down!!” Monuments to Columbus, the Italian navigator who sailed to the Americas on behalf of Spain in 1492, have drawn objections and protests for at least a century, with many describing him as a founding father of colonialism in the Western Hemisphere and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In the United States, a growing number of states, cities and towns have moved to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day, a federal holiday — sometimes inspiring a backlash. The moves follow long-standing calls by Native American groups, which argue that Columbus’ travels led to the genocide of Indigenous populations in the Americas, to recognize Indigenous Peoples Day. Last year, protesters around the world damaged statues depicting Columbus after demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis grew to focus on monuments that were seen as symbols of white supremacy and oppression. In St. Paul, Minnesota, a group of protesters tied ropes around the neck of a 10-foot bronze sculpture of Columbus and yanked it from its pedestal. In Boston, the head of a statue of Columbus in the North End was removed, and pieces of it were found nearby. And in Richmond, Virginia, a Columbus statue was torn down and tossed into a lake in a city park during a demonstration in support of Indigenous peoples. When the Mexico City statue was removed last year, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico said that Columbus Day was “a date that is very controversial and lends itself to conflicting ideas and political conflicts.” The Columbus statue will be moved to Parque América in the city’s Polanco neighbourhood, Sheinbaum said.

Mexico city to replace Columbus statue with indigenous woman monument

Mexicans have never had much affection for Christopher Columbus, and officials were being coy about why his statue was removed from the capital's main boulevard over the weekend before Monday's observances of Columbus Day, which saw protests in several Latin American nations.

Mexico City marks Columbus Day without statue

Protesters in the US city of Baltimore pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus -- the Italian navigator who reached the Americas in 1492 -- on Saturday. This is the latest monument to be toppled in anti-racism demonstrations.

Statues of figures connected to colonialism and slavery have been ripped from their plinths in the United States and around the world since Black Lives Matter protests were sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May.

Columbus&nbsp;is considered by many to have spurred years of genocide against indigenous groups in the Americas. He is regularly denounced in a similar way to Civil War generals of the pro-slavery South.

Footage published by the Baltimore Sun showed protesters using ropes to pull down the statue of Columbus near the city's Little Italy district and rolling it into the Inner Harbour on the night of July 4.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump earlier mentioned the sailor in his speech to mark the July 4 holiday, when Americans typically celebrate their 1776 declaration of independence from Britain.

"Together we will fight for the American dream, and we will defend, protect, and preserve American way of life which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America," he said in an address in which he railed against protesters demanding racial justice.

The president last month signed an executive order pledging&nbsp;to enforce prosecution for protesters who vandalise public memorials, promising "long prison terms" for "lawless acts against our Great Country!"

A statue of Columbus was taken down in San Francisco last month, and another was removed from California's state capital Sacramento.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/statue-of-christopher-columbus-in-us-toppled-thrown-in-lake-by-anti-racism-protestors-304863">Also read |&nbsp;Statue of Christopher Columbus in US toppled, thrown in lake by anti-racism protestors</a>

Protesters in the US city of Baltimore pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus -- the Italian navigator who reached the Americas in 1492 -- on Saturday. This is the latest monument to be toppled in anti-racism demonstrations.

Protesters in the US city of Baltimore pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus -- the Italian navigator who reached the Americas in 1492 -- on Saturday. This is the latest monument to be toppled in anti-racism demonstrations. Statues of figures connected to colonialism and slavery have been ripped from their plinths in the United States and around the world since Black Lives Matter protests were sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer in Minneapolis in May. Columbus is considered by many to have spurred years of genocide against indigenous groups in the Americas. He is regularly denounced in a similar way to Civil War generals of the pro-slavery South. Footage published by the Baltimore Sun showed protesters using ropes to pull down the statue of Columbus near the city's Little Italy district and rolling it into the Inner Harbour on the night of July 4. US President Donald Trump earlier mentioned the sailor in his speech to mark the July 4 holiday, when Americans typically celebrate their 1776 declaration of independence from Britain. "Together we will fight for the American dream, and we will defend, protect, and preserve American way of life which began in 1492 when Columbus discovered America," he said in an address in which he railed against protesters demanding racial justice. The president last month signed an executive order pledging to enforce prosecution for protesters who vandalise public memorials, promising "long prison terms" for "lawless acts against our Great Country!" A statue of Columbus was taken down in San Francisco last month, and another was removed from California's state capital Sacramento. Also read | Statue of Christopher Columbus in US toppled, thrown in lake by anti-racism protestors

Columbus statue toppled by race protesters in US city of Baltimore

A Columbus statue in Virginia was vandalized, torn down and thrown in a lake on Tuesday night. As protests of police brutality and racial inequality continue nationwide.

Christopher Columbus statue toppled in Virginia by protesters

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