Rodrigo de Triana

Rodrigo de Triana (born 1469 in Sevilla, Spain) was a Jewish-Spanish sailor and the first European since the Vikings known to have seen America. Born as Juan Rodrigo Bermejo, Triana was the son of hidalgo and potter Vicente Bermejo and Sereni Betancour. His father may have been murdered during the Spanish Inquisition because of his Jewish heritage.Fact|date=December 2007

On October 12, 1492, while in the crow's nest of Christopher Columbus's ship "La Pinta", he sighted land of the Americas."Esta tierra vido primero un marinero que se dezía Rodrigo de Triana, puesto que el Almirante a las diez de la noche, estando en el castillo de popa, vido lumbre aunque fue cosa tan çerrada que no quiso affirmar que fuese tierra." - [http://www.ems.kcl.ac.uk/content/etext/e019.html#d0e393 The Diary of Christopher Columbus.] ]

After spotting America at approximately two o'clock in the morning, he is reported to have shouted "¡Tierra! ¡Tierra!" (land! land!) [Harry L. Golden and Martin Rywell. "Jews in American History: Their Contribution to the United States of America." Charlotte, N.C.: H.L. Martin Co., 1950.] Columbus claims in his journal that he saw "light" at 10 p.m. the previous day, "but it was so indistinct that he did not dare to affirm it was land".

Triana went without reward and credit for this find. According to Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, he moved to Africa and converted to Islam following his unrewarded discovery.Dubious|date=March 2008

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