The Real History Of Who ‘Discovered’ America That Goes Much Deeper Than Christopher Columbus

Americans get a day off work on October 12 to celebrate Columbus Day. It's an annual holiday that commemorates the day on October 12, 1492, when the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus officially set foot in the Americas, and claimed the land for Spain. It has been a national holiday in the United States since 1937.
It is commonly said that "Columbus discovered America." It would be more accurate, perhaps, to say that he introduced the Americas to Western Europe during his four voyages to the region between 1492 and 1502. It's also safe to say that he paved the way for the massive influx of western Europeans that would ultimately form several new nations including the United States, Canada and Mexico.
But to say he "discovered" America is a bit of a misnomer because there were plenty of people already here when he arrived.
So, who actually discovered America first? Did the Vikings discover it before Christopher columbus?
And why is he credited with discovering America?