1502

1502 was a common year in the Julian calendar during the early 16th century, a period marked by expanding European exploration and growing global exchange. The year sits within the broader age of exploration that reshaped world connections and colonial prospects.

The best-documented event of 1502 was Christopher Columbus's fourth voyage to the Americas, sponsored by the Crown of Castile. Beginning in May 1502 from Cádiz, the expedition aimed to find a westward passage to Asia and to extend Spanish claims in the Caribbean. Columbus and his four ships explored parts of the Caribbean and the coast of present-day Central America, including the Gulf of Darién along the Caribbean side of Panama and the vicinity of Nicaragua and Honduras. Facing storms, scarcities, and political pressures, the voyage did not achieve its objective of reaching Asia, and Columbus returned to Hispaniola in 1504.

Elsewhere in Europe, the era’s ongoing dynastic politics and wars continued, as rival powers contended for influence and wealth through exploration and conquest. The Portuguese, building on earlier voyages, extended their network along Africa’s coast and into the Indian Ocean, pursuing new routes to valuable spices and markets while bypassing traditional land routes. The broader pattern of the period combined state-backed exploration with the growth of overseas trade and colonial ambitions.

In the wider world, major empires such as the Ming dynasty in China and the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean region maintained influence, while Renaissance culture continued to influence science, art, and learning in Europe. The year thus sits at a hinge between medieval-era structures and early modern global networks.