European Explorers

Portuguese Explorers

Pedro Alvares Cabral

1467-1520

Place of Birth: Belmonte, Portugal

Biography:

Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese nobleman, explorer, and navigator who was the first European to see Brazil (on April 22, 1500). His patron was King Manuel I of Portugal, who sent him on an expedition to India. King Manuel renamed this land Holy Cross; it was later renamed once again, to Brazil, after a kind of dyewood found there, called pau-brasil. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/1500a.shtml

Legacy:

The Portuguese explorer was the first European to visit Brazil.

Vasco da Gama

1460–1524

Place of Birth: Sines, Portugal

Biography:

Explorer Vasco da Gama was born in Sines, Portugal, around 1460. In 1497, he was commissioned by the Portuguese king to find a maritime route to the East. His success in doing so proved to be one of the more instrumental moments in the history of navigation. He subsequently made two other voyages to India, and was appointed as Portuguese viceroy in India in 1524. www.biography.com/people/vasco-da-gama-9305736

Legacy:

Vasco da Gama was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India.

Bartolomeu Dias

1450–1500

Place of Birth: Portugal

Biograhy:

Born in 1450, Bartolomeu Dias was sent by Portuguese King John II to explore the coast of Africa and find a way to the Indian Ocean. Dias departed circa August 1487, rounding the southernmost tip of Africa in January, 1488. The Portuguese (possibly Dias himself) named this point of land the Cape of Good Hope. Dias was lost at sea during another expedition around the Cape in 1500. http://www.biography.com/people/bartolomeu-dias-9273850

Legacy:

Portuguese discoverer of the Cape of Good Hope

Prince Henry the Navigator

Place of Birth: Porto, Portugal

Biography:

Henry the Navigator was born in Porto, Portugal, in 1394. Although he was neither a sailor nor a navigator, he sponsored a great deal of exploration along the west coast of Africa. Under his patronage, Portuguese crews founded the country's first colonies and visited regions previously unknown to Europeans. Henry is regarded as an originator of the Age of Discovery and the Atlantic slave trade. http://mrnussbaum.com/explorers/princehenry/

Legacy:

Price Henry started the first school of navigation.

Miguel Corte-Real

1448 – 1502

Place of Birth: Kingdom of Portugal

Biography:

Miguel Corte-Real was a son of João Vaz Corte-Real and a brother of explorer Gaspar Corte-Real. Gaspar exploredGreenland in 1499. He stayed there for several months with his team before icebergs forced them to return to Portugal.

Legacy:

Miguel Corte Real was a 16th century Portuguese explorer who partook in sailing expeditions to the North Atlantic.

Spanish Explorers

Amerigo Vespucci

1451-1512

Place of Birth: Florence, Italy

Biography:

When Vespucci was 24 years old, his father pressured him to go into business. Vespucci obliged. At first he undertook a variety of business endeavors in Florence. Later, he moved on to a banking business in Seville, Spain, where he formed a partnership with another man from Florence, named Gianetto Berardi. On May 10, 1497, he embarked on his first voyage. On his third and most successful voyage, he discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. Believing he had discovered a new continent, he called South America the New World. In 1507, America was named after him. He died of malaria in Seville, Spain, on February 22, 1512. http://www.biography.com/people/amerigo-vespucci-9517978

Legacy:

America was name after him.

Hernando De Soto

1500–1542

Place of Birth: Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain

Biography:

Hernando de Soto was born to a noble but poor family in Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain. A generous patron named Pedro Arias Dávila funded de Soto's education at the University of Salamanca. De Soto's family hoped he would become a lawyer, but he told his father he would rather explore the West Indies.In the early 1530s, while on Francisco Pizarro's expedition, de Soto helped conquer Peru. In 1539 he set out for North America, where he discovered the Mississippi River. In the early 1530s, while on Francisco Pizarro's expedition, de Soto helped conquer Peru. In 1539 he set out for North America, where he discovered the Mississippi River. http://www.biography.com/people/hernando-de-soto-38469

Legacy:

Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who participated in the conquests of Central America and Peru and discovered the Mississippi River.

Vasco De Balboa

1475–1519

Place of Birth:  Jerez de los Caballeros, in the province of Extremadura in Castile, Spain
Biography:

Born in Spain in 1475, explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa helped establish the town of Darién on the Isthmus of Panama, becoming interim governor. In 1513, he led the first European expedition to the Pacific Ocean, but news of the discovery arrived after the king had sent Pedro Arias de Ávila to serve as the new governor of Darién. Ávila, reportedly jealous of Balboa, had him beheaded for treason in 1519. http://www.biography.com/people/vasco-n%C3%BA%C3%B1ez-de-balboa-9196350

Legacy:

He was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.

Christopher Columbus

1451-1506

Place of Birth: Genoa, Italy

Biography:

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian explorer who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, hoping to find a route to India (in order to trade for spices). He made a total of four trips to the Caribbean and South America during the years 1492-1504, sailing for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. His first voyage into the Atlantic Ocean in 1476 nearly cost him his life as the commercial fleet he was sailing with was attacked by French privateers off the coast of Portugal. His ship was burned and Columbus had to swim to the Portuguese shore and make his way to Lisbon, Portugal, where he eventually settled and married Felipa Perestrello. The couple had one son, Diego in about 1480. His wife died soon after and Columbus moved to Spain. He had a second son Fernando who was born out of wedlock in 1488 with Beatriz Enriquez de Arana. He died May 20, 1506 still believing he had discovered a shorter route to Asia. http://www.biography.com/people/christopher-columbus-9254209#mixed-legacy

Legacy:

Christopher Columbus has long been hailed as the “discoverer” of the New World which is America.

Ferdinand Magellan

1480–1521

Place of Birth: Sabrosa or Porto?, Portugal

Biography:

Ferdinand Magellan was born in Portugal, circa 1480. As a boy, he studied mapmaking and navigation. By his mid-20s, he was sailing in large fleets and was engaged in combat. In 1519, with the support of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, Magellan set out to find a better route to the Spice Islands. He assembled a fleet of ships which, despite huge setbacks and Magellan’s death, circumnavigated the world in a single voyage.

Legacy:

Ferdinand Magellan led the first European voyage of discovery to circumnavigate the globe

British Explorers

John Hawkins

1532–1595

Place of Birth:  Plymouth, England

Biography:

Born in 1532 in Plymouth, England, John Hawkins established himself as a merchant and slave trader, eventually having hostile encounters with Spanish naval forces. He later became treasurer and controller of the English navy and oversaw the creation of more technologically advanced vessels. He died on November 12, 1595 while en route to a raid in Puerto Rico. http://www.biography.com/people/john-hawkins-38613

Legacy:

The first English slaver and the first Englishman to invade the Caribbean which was largely of Spanish possession.

Francis Drake

1540–1596

Place of Birth: Devonshire, England

Biography:

Francis Drake was the eldest of 12 sons born to Mary Myllwaye (spelled "Mylwaye" in some cases) and Edmund Drake. Edmund was a farmer on the estate of Lord Francis Russell, the second earl of Bedford. Francis Drake, born around 1540-1544 in Devonshire, England, was involved in piracy and illicit slave trading before being chosen in 1577 as the leader of an expedition intended to pass around South America, through the Strait of Magellan, and explore the coast that lay beyond. Drake successfully completed the journey and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I upon his triumphant return. In 1588 he saw action in the English defeat of the Spanish Armada, though he died in 1596 from dysentery after undertaking an unsuccessful raiding mission.

Legacy:

He became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, and the second circumnavigation of the world.

James Cook

1728–1779

Place of Birth: Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England

Biography:

Born on October 27, 1728, in Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England, James Cook was a naval captain, navigator and explorer who, in 1770, discovered and charted New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia on his ship Endeavor. He later disproved the existence of Terra Australis, a fabled southern continent. Cook's voyages helped guide generations of explorers, and provided the first accurate map of the Pacific. He died on February 14, 1779, in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii. http://www.biography.com/people/james-cook-21210409

Legacy:

James Cook discovered and charted New Zealand and Australia's Great Barrier Reef on his ship Endeavor, and later disproved the existence of the fabled southern continent Terra Australis. His voyages provided the first accurate map of the Pacific.

Walter Raleigh

1552–1618

Place of Birth: East Budleigh in Devon

Biography:

Sir Walter Raleigh was an English explorer, soldier and writer. At age 17, he fought with the French Huguenots and later studied at Oxford. He became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth after serving in her army in Ireland. He was knighted in 1585, and within two years became Captain of the Queen's Guard. Between 1584 and 1589, he helped establish a colony near Roanoke Island (present-day North Carolina), which he named Virginia. Accused of treason by King James I, Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned and eventually put to death. http://www.biography.com/people/walter-raleigh-9450901

Legacy:

Sir Walter Raleigh was an English adventurer and writer who established a colony near Roanoke Island, in present-day North Carolina.

John Cabot

1450-1499

Place of Birth: Genoa, Italy

Biography:

Explorer and navigator John Cabot was born Giovanni Caboto in Italy around 1450. By 1495, he had moved to Bristol, England, with his family. He made a voyage in 1497 on the ship Matthew and claimed land in Canada—mistaking it for Asia—for King Henry VII of England.

Legacy:

He made a British claim to land in Canada, mistaking it for Asia, during his 1497 voyage on the ship Matthew.

French Explorers

Jacques Cartier

1491–1557

Place of Birth: Brittany, France

Biography:

French navigator Jacques Cartier was born on December 31, 1491, in Saint-Malo, Brittany, France, and was sent by King Francis I to the New World in search of riches and a new route to Asia in 1534. His exploration of the St. Lawrence River allowed France to lay claim to lands that would become Canada. He died in Saint-Malo in 1557.

Legacy:

Jacques Cartier is known chiefly for exploring the St. Lawrence River and giving Canada its name.

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle

1643–1687

Place of Birth:

Biography:

Born in Rouen, France, on November 22, 1643, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle was an explorer best known for leading an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, claiming the region watered by the Mississippi and its tributaries for France, and naming it Louisiana after King Louis XIV. His last expedition was to invade and conquer part of the Spanish province of Mexico, which failed and cost La Salle his life. http://www.biography.com/people/ren%C3%A9-robert-cavelier-sieur-de-la-salle-38429#synopsis

Legacy:

He was a French explorer best known for leading an expedition down the Mississippi River, claiming the region for France.

Samuel de Champlain

1574-1635

Place of Birth: Brouage, Province of Saintonge,France

Biography:

French explorer Samuel de Champlain was born in 1574 in Brouage, France. He began exploring North America in 1603, establishing the city of Quebec in the northern colony of New France, and mapping the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, before settling into an administrative role as the de facto governor of New France in 1620. He died on December 25, 1635, in Quebec.

Legacy:

He was a french explorer best known for establishing and governing the settlements of New France and the city of Quebec.

Jacques Marquette

1637–1675

Place of Birth:

Biography:

Jacques Marquette was born in Laon, France, on June 1, 1637. He joined the Society of Jesus at age 17 and became a Jesuit missionary. He founded missions in present-day Michigan and later joined explorer Louis Joliet on an expedition to discover and map the Mississippi River.

Legacy:

He is best known as the first European to see and map the northern portion of the Mississippi River.

Dutch Explorers

Henry Hudson

1565-1611

Place of Birth: England, United Kingdom

Biography:

Believed to have been born in the late 16th century, English explorer Henry Hudson made two unsuccessful sailing voyages in search of an ice-free passage to Asia. In 1609, he embarked on a third voyage funded by the Dutch East India Company that took him to the New World and the river that would be given his name. On his fourth voyage, Hudson came upon the body of water that would later be called the Hudson Bay.

Legacy:

Explored Chesapeake Bay and discovered the Hudson River (1609) and claimed New Amsterdam (Manhattan Island) for the Dutch.

Abel Tasman

1603-1659

Place of Birth: Lutjegast, Netherlands

Biography:

Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603?-1659), mariner, was born at Lutjegast, near Groningen, in the Netherlands. He received a sufficient education to enable him to express his ideas clearly in writing and to become a skilled navigator. He married Claesgie Meyndrix, by whom he had a daughter. After his wife died, he married Joanna Tiercx in January 1632. Soon afterwards, as a sailor before the mast, he sailed for the East Indies, where he was a first mate in February and a skipper in May 1634. Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603?-1659), mariner, was born at Lutjegast, near Groningen, in the Netherlands. He received a sufficient education to enable him to express his ideas clearly in writing and to become a skilled navigator. He married Claesgie Meyndrix, by whom he had a daughter. After his wife died, he married Joanna Tiercx in January 1632. Soon afterwards, as a sailor before the mast, he sailed for the East Indies, where he was a first mate in February and a skipper in May 1634.

Legacy:

He discovered the island of Tasmania (1642) and was the first European to sight New Zealand. He visited the Fiji Islands and mapped areas of Australia.

Willem Barentsz 

1550-1597

Place of Birth: Terschelling, Seventeen Provinces

Bioraphy:

Willem Barentsz was born around 1550 on the island Terschelling in theSeventeen Provinces, present-day Netherlands.  He was a Dutch navigator,cartographer, and Arctic explorer. He went on three expeditions to the far north in search for a Northeast passage. A cartographer by trade, Barentsz sailed to Spain and the Mediterranean to complete an atlas of the Mediterranean region, which he co-published withPetrus Plancius. His career as an explorer was spent searching for the Northeast passage, which he reasoned must exist as clear, open water north of Siberia since the sun shone 24 hours a day, which he believed would have melted any potential ice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Barentsz

Legacy: He searched for the Northeast Passage above Siberia. He discovered Bear Island.

Willem Janszoon 

1571-1638

Place of Birth: Holland

Biography:

Willem Janszoon, sometimes abbreviated to Willem Jansz. was a Dutch navigator and colonial governor. Janszoon served in the Netherlands East Indies in the periods 1603–11 and 1612–16, including as governor of Fort Henricus on the island of Solor. He is the first European known to have seen the coast of Australia during his voyage of 1605–06. Janszoon is first recorded as entering into the service of the Oude compagnie, one of the predecessors of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), as a mate aboard the Hollandia, part of the second fleet under Jacob Cornelisz. van Neck, dispatched by the Dutch to the Dutch East Indies in 1598.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Janszoon

Legacy: He’s the first European to set foot on Australia.

Dirck Hartog

1580–1621

Place of Birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Biography:

Dutch explorer who made the first recorded exploration of the western coast of Australia.

Traveling an eastward route from Amsterdam around the Cape of Good Hope to Java, Hartog sighted and explored the western Australian coastline. He landed (October 1616) and spent three days exploring a desolate offshore island that he named for himself. To mark his landing, he left a flattened pewter plate, inscribed with the details of the visit, nailed on a post on the northern end of the island, now called Cape Inscription. In 1696 another Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh, landed on Dirk Hartog Island, found Hartog’s plate, replaced it with a newly inscribed dish, and sent the original to Amsterdam, where it can now be seen in the Rijksmuseum.

Until the 19th century the coast of Australia parallel to Dirk Hartogs Island was called Eendrachtsland, in honour of the explorer’s ship, Eendracht.

Legacy: The first explorer to map areas of Western Australia.