Leif Erikson, the famous Norse explorer, was not actually banished from Iceland. Instead, it was his father, Erik the Red, who faced banishment. Erik the Red was banished from Iceland for committing murder. This led him to explore and eventually settle in Greenland. Leif Erikson followed in his father’s footsteps and became an explorer himself, famously reaching North America around the year 1000 AD, long before Christopher Columbus.
Leif Erikson’s story is often intertwined with that of his father, but it’s important to note that Leif himself was not banished from Iceland. His father’s banishment, however, played a significant role in shaping the family’s destiny and led to the exploration of new lands.