Christopher Columbus arrived in Portugal as the result of a naval battle which blew his ship out from under him and forced him to swim for his life. He came ashore near Lagos, on the southern coast of Portugal. In late 1483 or early 1484 he went to John II, the Portuguese king, for ships and men to go on the Atlantic voyage, offering to find Cipangu and India. The king called in experts, including astronomers and mathematicians, to judge the offer. They turned Columbus down, believing that the Atlantic distances involved were far greater than Columbus had estimated. With his wife's death in the early 1480's and the rejection of his offer, he left his career in Portugal.
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