Ferdinand II of Aragon (10 March 1452 - 23 January 1516), also known as Ferdinand V of Castile (Spanish: Fernando), was King of the Spanish region of Aragon (1479-1516) and several Italian provinces. His marriage to Isabella I of Castile united their two kingdoms into a single Spain. Ferdinand authorized Christopher Columbus' exploratory mission across the Atlantic Ocean, which opened the New World to Spanish colonisation.