The 1620s decade ran from January 1, 1620, to December 31, 1629. Events and trends Major ongoing eventsAge of Exploration (1419 – c.Early 17th Century): Though mankind's cartographical knowledge of the world was still imperfect, it had come a long way since Christopher Columbus re-discovered the Americas in 1492 (about 500 years after the Vikings, the first Europeans to discover the Continent of North America). It was during this Decade in which European Explorers such as John Smith, Fran… (More on 1620s)