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Barnet Litvinoff argues that the most significant year of the last ten centuries falls halfway through the millenium. In 1492 Europe, newly revitalized as the Renaissance swept northward from Italy, was never before a centre of intellectual excellence, of geographical exploration or of trade. But it took the voyage of Christopher Columbus to fully establish the destiny of this Western promontory of the Eurasian landmass. Only with his discovery of America were the ancient countries which made up Europe to assume a global role.