Best Leaders in History and a partial why if can

[csirl]

Ericsson isnt the first European on American soil. He followed the maps/directions of Brendan the Navigator stolen from an Irish monastery. Its now believed Brendan sailed down the east coast of north america, possibly reaching as south as Florida. Its also believed that Columbus knew of the existence of a continent across the Atlantic by studying Brendan's anals.

Note that Brendan may not have been the first! Island hopping across the north Atlantic - Ireland to Shetlands to Faroes to Iceland to Greenland to Newfoundland was an established, though not often travelled route - each stage 2-3 days sailing in good conditions. Iceland was inhabited by Irish monks for long before the Vikings invaded.