Leif Erikson and Iceland: Setting the Record Straight

Leif Erikson did not discover Iceland. Norse settlement of Iceland began around 874 CE, centuries before Erikson's voyages. The first inhabitants were likely Irish monks (papar) in the 8th century, followed by Norse explorers like Naddodd, Garðar Svavarsson, and Flóki Vilgerðarson. Leif Erikson (c. 970–1020) is credited as the first European to reach North America (Vinland), around 1000 CE—nearly 500 years before Columbus.