Columbus Day is coming up on Monday, October 10. As many of you probably know, the day celebrates Christopher Columbus discovering the Americas on October 12, 1492.

The holiday has become controversial and some cities now call it Indigenous People’s Day.

Putting all politics aside, most would still agree that Columbus was in fact a true explorer.

In a new infographic that I recently received, Virgin Atlantic compares Christopher Columbus in 1492 to Modern Day Explorers in 2016.

Some interesting pieces of comparative information are included in the infographic including:

• It was about 35 days before a sailor spotted land once he began the journey across the Atlantic. Today, the average flight from New York to London takes 6 hours!
• When Christopher Columbus set off, he was given 3 ships. In 2016 there are around 3,000 flights across the Atlantic each day.
• Columbus used a quadrant to measure altitude and a sandglass to tell time. Virgin Atlantic points out the most important apps that Millennials use for inspiration, navigation and communication (Facebook, Instagram, TripAdvisor, Whats App & Twitter.)
• Columbus wanted to discover a western sea route to India & China. Those traveling to London want to discover local pubs and restaurants.

Check out the full Virgin Atlantic infographic:

What do you think of Virgin Atlantic’s comparisons between Columbus and modern day explorers? I found the info to be somewhat funny and accurate!

Find out more on the Virgin Atlantic blog here.