King Ferdinand II of Aragon

Hello! My name is Ferdinand, and I was a king who helped build the country of Spain. I was born a prince in a kingdom called Aragon on March 10th, 1452. Back then, the land was divided into many different kingdoms, not one big country like it is today. I spent my childhood learning how to be a fair and strong leader because I knew one day I would help rule and protect my people.

When I grew up, I married a very smart and powerful queen named Isabella I of Castile. Our wedding was on October 19th, 1469. We were a great team! We both shared a big dream: to bring all the separate kingdoms together to create one strong country. People called us the 'Catholic Monarchs,' and we worked side-by-side to make our dream come true.

The year 1492 was very important for us. It was the year we finally united Spain! We won a long struggle in a city called Granada, making the country whole. That same year, a brave explorer named Christopher Columbus came to us with an exciting idea. He wanted to sail across the ocean to find a new way to Asia. We believed in him, so we gave him three ships—the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria—to begin his famous journey.

My wife Isabella and I achieved our dream of creating the country we now know as Spain. By supporting explorers like Columbus, we also helped begin an amazing time of discovery for the whole world. I lived to be 63 years old. Today, people remember me and Queen Isabella as the monarchs who brought Spain together and opened up a new age of exploration.