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1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer. He sailed west from Spain trying to find India but ran into the Bahamas on the way. When he saw the natives there he called them Indians but little did he know he was in the Americas. -
1498
John Cabot
John Cabot sailed the Eastern Shore near present day Worcester County. -
1513
Juan Ponce De Leon
Juan Ponce De Leon explored the Florida coast. -
1519
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer to circumnavigate the world. -
1524
Giovani da Verrazano
Giovanni da Verrazano explored the North Carolina coast to Nova Scotia, and enters New York Harbor. -
1540
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explored the Southwest. -
1541
Hernando De Soto
Hernando De Soto discovered the Mississippi River. -
1542
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
Cabrillo explores and discovers the Californian coast.
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo discovers San Diego Bay, California -
1559
Tristan de Luna
Tristan de Luna explores North America -
1576
Sir Martin Frobisher
Sir Martin Frobisher explores Baffin Bay and the Hudson Strait. -
1577
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake circumnavigates the world - December 13 1577 to September 26 1580 -
Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe
Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe (both in the service of Sir Walter Raleigh) explore the coast of North Carolina. -
Sir Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh established the Roanoke colony. -
Juan de Archuleta
Juan de Archuleta explored Colorado. -
Captain John Smith
Captain John Smith explored and founded of Jamestown.
