Rodrigo de Triana is traditionally credited with first sighting land on Columbus’s first voyage. Sailing aboard La Pinta, he reportedly saw the island of Guanahani in the Bahamas during the early hours of October 12, 1492.
According to accounts of the voyage, Triana shouted “¡Tierra!” after spotting land. Columbus named the island San Salvador, although its precise modern identity remains debated. The sighting marked the expedition’s first confirmed landfall in the Caribbean after weeks at sea.
The credit was not entirely free of controversy. Columbus later claimed that he had seen a faint light several hours before Triana’s sighting. Because the expedition’s promised reward was linked to discovering land, Triana reportedly became angry that Columbus might claim priority. The traditional historical account nevertheless identifies Triana as the sailor who first clearly spotted land.
Martín Alonso Pinzón, commander of La Pinta, was an important navigator and expedition leader, but he is not the standard answer to this question. Pedro Alonso Niño and Juan de la Cosa were also notable sailors, yet neither is traditionally credited with the first sighting.