European Explorers

  • Jan 1, 1000

    Leif Ericson

    Leif Ericson
    This Norse explorer founded Labrador Peninsula and Vinland.
  • Jan 1, 1271

    Marco Polo

    Marco Polo
    This Italian explorer brought back stories of spices, coal, and paper money when he came back from his travel in Asia.
  • Jan 1, 1400

    Prince Henry the navigator

    This Portugese navigator made advances that would help make exploration more successful.
  • Jan 1, 1488

    Bartholomeu Dias

    Bartholomeu Dias
    This Portugese man found the cape of good hope.
  • Jan 1, 1492

    Christopher Columbus

    Christopher Columbus
    This Italian explorer found the bahamas.
  • Jan 1, 1497

    Vasco Da Gama

    Vasco Da Gama
    This portugese explorer won the european rce for the sea route to Asia for Portugal.
  • Jan 1, 1497

    John Cabot

    John Cabot
    This Italian explorer traveled along the coast of present day new found land.
  • Jan 1, 1500

    Sir Francis Drake

    Sir Francis Drake
    This english privateer raided spanish treasure ships and succeded.
  • May 20, 1501

    Amerigo Vespucci

    Amerigo Vespucci
    This italian man made a spanish fleet to the coast of present day South America.
  • Jan 1, 1512

    Juan Ponce de Leon

    Juan Ponce de Leon
    This spanish man discovered the coast of Florida.
  • Jan 1, 1513

    Vasco de Balboa

    Vasco de Balboa
    This spanish man found the pacific ocean.
  • Jan 1, 1519

    Hernando Cortez

    This spanish guy sailed to present day Mexico.
  • Jan 1, 1522

    Ferdinand Magellan

    This portugese guy was the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe.
  • Jan 1, 1524

    Giovanni da Verrazano

    This italian man sailed along the coast of North Carolina to Maine.
  • Jan 1, 1524

    Jacques Cartier

    This french man sailed to Canada twice.
  • Jan 1, 1534

    Francisco Pizzaro

    This spanish man conquered the entire Inca empire.
  • Jan 1, 1540

    Francisco Vazquez de Coronado

    This spanish discovered the Grand Canyon.
  • Jan 1, 1541

    Hernando de Soto

    This spanish man discovered the Mississippi river.
  • Jan 1, 1550

    Robert de La Salle

    This french man claimed the Mississippi Valley for King Louis XIV and named it Louisiana to honor him.
  • Samuel de Champlain

    This french man founded the colony Quebec along the Saint Lawrence river.
  • Henry Hudson

    This english man sailed to present day New York.
  • Father Marquette and Louis Joliet

    These french men traveled down the Mississippi river to Arkansas.