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Happy Independence Day all ye American neighbors to the south!

Who was this Amerigo Vespucci guy, remember him?

Posted - July 4, 2020
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  • 19937
    Thank you.  Amerigo Vespucci was an Italian explorer, is best known for his namesake: the continents of North and South America. But why were these continents named after him, especially since his voyages happened after Christopher Columbus' famed 1492 sail on the ocean blue?

    Vespucci was the first person to recognize North and South America as distinct continents that were previously unknown to Europeans, Asians and Africans. Prior to Vespucci's discovery, explorers, including
    Columbus, had assumed that the New World was part of Asia.  Vespucci made his discovery while sailing
    near the tip of South America in 1501.

    https://www.livescience.com/42510-amerigo-vespucci.html

      July 4, 2020 1:59 PM MDT
    3

  • 6988
    As I see it, Vespucci just sounds like a Vespa motor scooter. No on wants to name that side of the world after a little motor scooter. The name 'Amerigo' sounds more like 'on the go'.
      July 4, 2020 2:27 PM MDT
    2