Bigger accomplishment: Columbus finding America or man landing on the moon?
by 
Sheik Yerbouti
ANSWERS: 18
-
Certainly the lunar landing. Columbus was not the first to discover America, perhaps the first to navigate and exploit from southern Europe.
-
Well, a few more people followed Columbus, and I hear they are getting on pretty well, but nobody has followed up the initial moon landings.
-
Even thinking what they did for their stage of technology, I'd have to say that reaching the moon was the more difficult task. But I do not think it was the biggest accomplishment. What did it achieve? So we have a few new discoveries and some new product development since then. But nothing really compares with the discovery of the other half of the world and how it changed people's lives on both side of the oceans, and the wars it caused, the new life, flora and fauna that was discovered. Columbus did a much 'greater' thing for the world
-
Let you know in 500 years.
-
Columbus was a great explorer and discovered the AMericas for Europeans, but he didn't FIND them. The native Americans did. He wasn't the first person there, just the first of his continent. The moon landing was much more spectacular.
-
Finding America. For explorers to take on this task back then was phenomenal. They had no idea what or whom was out there. They had no idea what the size of the oceans were and what the weather would be like. Although the moon was an awesome feat, by then technology was incredibly advanced. Even though no one could know exactly what the outcome would be, we were even able to watch it on television as it happened. no one heard or knew what happened to explorers for years.
-
Dear Glenn Blaylock. If I may be bold, neither Columbus nor any Americas discovered the rest of the world. There is a contintinent similar in size to mainland USA that was not discovered/settled by civilised man until about 200 years later. Getting back to the debate, Columbus was lucky in guestimating a probability that the world was round and he might "bump" into something. JFK's dream was a calculation in probability based on known and unknown dangers and yet to be fully proven technology. That dream was by far a greater challenge for man as there was no chance of bumping into something other than the target which needed man to go outside any normal living environment. One tiny glitch and instant catastrophe, unlike Columbus. Cheers
-
Columbus's finding the Americas can't really be seen as an accompishment but luck. He was after a trade route to India. In order to convince his sponsors it was possible he used the smallest estimate available for the size of the Earth. If he hadn't been very wrong about India being just the other side of the Atlantic, he and all his crew would have died - he went on long after they had passed the point of no return and his crew were dying. Contrast man landing on the moon. This took decades of work by hundreds of thousands of people. Even then we were at the very edge of what was possible politically and technologically. I think the hard work and dedication of thousands of Americans in order to accomplish something outweighs the grandiose plans of one mad but lucky Italian.
-
So far, Columbus finding america. The moon landing hasn't changed anything.
-
I think the moon landing was more significant. The accomplishments of a planet overcome the accomplishments of a man.
-
The moon landing was by far a bigger accomplishment; however, the Columbus landing for now is by far more significant.
-
That would be a matter of perception, Columbus and his adventure considering the day and age carried the same risk as us going to the moon.
-
Apples and Oranges. I guess it would depend on ones definition of accomplishment. I think Columbus stumbling onto America was a major accomplishment back in 1492. And the similar could be said for the moon landing in 1969. But I have a theory that the US government had ulterior motives for the moon landing aside from the accomplishment itself. I think it enabled the development of tracking systems in missiles and there accuracy. And provided a good cover for military expenses.
-
The discovery of America is more important, for compare what has been done on the north american continent compared to what has been done on the moon.
-
landing on the moon. at least the moon landers knew where they were going and had decent maps. columbus got lost and what he discovered he stumbled onto. and what he called america wasnt. and what he called indians, werent.
-
The moon landing, because Columbus didn't discover it. There were already people living there when he got there. As far as we know, nobody lives on the moon.
-
Columbus finding America since they didn't think the world was round at that time. There were no doubts in mankind's head regarding the moon.
-
Getting to the moon. Columbus was just looking for gold. I don't think there was an ounce of explorer in him. America was found thousands of years before Columbus!
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC