March 4: The New World was divided between Spain and Portugal by Pope Alexander VI, along the Line of Demarcation, in 1493.

Spanish Pope Alexander VI

Christopher Columbus’ return to Europe on March 3, 1493, was followed by an international conflict based on Portugal’s claim of sovereignty over the newly discovered territories.

Lines dividing the non-Christian world between Castile (modern Spain) and Portugal:

the 1494 Tordesillas meridian (purple) and the 1529 Zaragoza antimeridian (green)

The Spanish-born Pope Alexander VI gave Spain a head-start in the quest for domination over newly discovered regions of the world.

The Pope decreed that all lands discovered west of a meridian 100 leagues (one league is 3 miles or 4.8 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands should belong to Spain while new lands discovered east of that line would belong to Portugal.