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Mystery of La Navidad: site of first Spanish settlement in Americas unknown

On Christmas Eve 1492 the Santa María ran aground off Haiti; Columbus used its timbers to build Fort Navidad, where 39 men died.

  • Christopher Columbus founded La Navidad in 1492 during his first voyage to the Americas.
  • The fort was destroyed in 1493 when Columbus returned, leaving only a few survivors.
  • La Navidad's exact location remains unknown, possibly near Cap-Haïtien, Haiti.

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