Ferdinand
Ferdinand (1452-1516), First king of Spain. He married Isabella of Castile (1451-1504) in 1469 and the couple was proclaimed joint sovereigns of Castile in 1474. When Ferdinand also succeeded to the throne of Aragon (1479) the two great kingdoms were united. Ferdinand’s reign is notable for the introduction of the Spanish Inquisition (1480) and for Columbus’s discovery of America.
