Amerigo Vespucci (born March 9, 1454; died Feb. 22, 1512) was an Italian explorer, financier, navigator, and cartographer. Born in the Republic of Florence, Vespucci embarked on several voyages to the New World, where he explored the coasts of South America and the Caribbean. It was during these expeditions that he realized he was not in Asia, as previously thought, but in a new continent unknown to Europeans.
Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci is best known for his namesake: the continents of North and South America. But why were these continents named after him? In 1507, a mapmaker named Martin Waldseemüller decided to honor Vespucci by naming the newly discovered lands after him. This decision was based on Vespucci's detailed accounts of his voyages, which helped to differentiate the Americas from Asia.
Five centuries after his death, Florentine explorer and chronicler Vespucci is still derided for having his name slapped on two continents. Critics argue that Vespucci's contributions were exaggerated, and that other explorers like Christopher Columbus and John Cabot played more significant roles in the discovery of the New World. However, the name "America" has stuck, and Vespucci's legacy lives on in the continents that bear his name.