Ferdinand V (1452-1516) ruled the kingdom of Castile in what is now Spain. He helped unify various Spanish kingdoms into one country. He also ruled the Spanish kingdom of Aragon, and Sicily, as Ferdinand II. He ruled Naples as Ferdinand III.
Ferdinand was born on March 10, 1452, in Sos, Aragon. He was prince of Aragon when he married his cousin Princess Isabella of Castile in 1469. She became Queen Isabella I of Castile in 1474, and he became King Ferdinand V of Castile. He became King Ferdinand II of Aragon in 1479. In this way, most of what is now Spain came under the couple’s rule. Ferdinand and Isabella increased Spain’s power by conquering the Moors (North African Muslims) of the kingdom of Granada in 1492. That same year, they sent the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus on his first voyage of discovery to North America. After Isabella died in 1504, Ferdinand added the kingdom of Navarre to Castile. He died on Jan. 23, 1516.
