His 1967 New York Times obituary called him a “painter of loneliness””
On the February 4, 2026 episode of Jeopardy!, contestants faced a challenging Final Jeopardy clue in the category “Island Names.” The clue required both historical knowledge and familiarity with global geography. It read: “This archipelago got its name in 1493 in honor of St. Ursula & her followers.”
This question called on players to connect a religious legend with an era of exploration. As is often the case with clues in this category, historical figures, mythic stories, and maritime discoveries intersected to form the correct response.
What are the Virgin Islands?
The correct response—What are the Virgin Islands?—traces its origins back to Christopher Columbus’s second voyage to the Americas. In 1493, while sailing through the Caribbean, Columbus came upon a cluster of islands. Struck by the sheer number of islands he encountered, he named them “Santa Úrsula y las Once Mil Vírgenes,” or “Saint Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins,” referencing a legend from Christian tradition.
Over time, the name was shortened for convenience, and the islands came to be known simply as “the Virgin Islands.” The legend of Saint Ursula and her followers—believed to be martyred for their faith—was a familiar tale in Europe during the 15th century. Columbus’s naming of the islands was emblematic of how explorers of the era often applied religious or royal references to newly encountered lands.
Geography of the Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands consist of more than 50 islands and cays in the Caribbean Sea, located to the east of Puerto Rico. These islands are part of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. They are politically divided into two territories: the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands.
The U.S. Virgin Islands include the main islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix, while the British Virgin Islands encompass Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, and Jost Van Dyke among others. Despite the geopolitical division, both sets of islands share a similar cultural and colonial history rooted in European exploration and colonization.
Historical Significance and European Colonization
After Columbus named the archipelago in 1493, various European powers—including Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, and Great Britain—vied for control of the islands over the ensuing centuries. The Danish West India Company eventually took control of what are now the U.S. Virgin Islands, while Britain maintained possession of the eastern islands.
In 1917, the United States purchased the Danish West Indies from Denmark for $25 million in gold, renaming them the U.S. Virgin Islands. This acquisition was driven by strategic concerns during World War I, as the U.S. sought to prevent German expansion in the Caribbean. The islands remain an unincorporated U.S. territory today.
Cultural and Economic Relevance Today
Today, the Virgin Islands are known for their stunning natural beauty, tourism-driven economies, and unique cultural blend of African, European, and Caribbean influences. Tourism, particularly from cruise ships and resorts, plays a central role in both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
The islands also serve as an important reminder of the complex layers of exploration, religion, colonization, and trade that shaped the modern Caribbean. Their name—rooted in legend, bestowed by a European explorer, and carried through centuries of global change—continues to reflect a deep intertwining of myth and history.