-
1000
Leif Erikson
Norse explorer, discovered North America. -
1488
Bartolomeu Dias
Portuguese explorer, first to reach the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic. -
1492
Christopher Columbus
Italian explorer, colonizer, and navigator. Completed four voyages across Atlantic. -
1497
John Cabot
Venetian navigator and explorer. Discovered coast of North America. -
1498
Vasco Da Gama
Portuguese explorer. First person to reach India by sea. -
1507
Amerigo Vespucci
Italian explorer, financier, cartographer and navigator. First demonstrated that Brazil and the West Indies did not represent Asia's eastern outskirts as initially conjectured by Christopher Columbus' voyages. -
1512
Ponce De Leon
Spanish explorer and conquistador. First Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. -
1513
Vasco Nunez De Balboa
Spanish explorer, Governor, and Conquistador.Crossed Isthmus of Panama to the pacific Ocean. -
1519
Ferdinand Magellan
Portuguese Explorer who organized the Spanish expedition to the East Indies, resulting in the first circumnavigation of the Earth -
1519
Hernan Cortez
Spanish conquistador that led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland mexico under the rule of the king of Castille -
1524
Giovanni Verrazano
Italian explorer of North America. First European to explore the Atlantic Coast of North America -
1534
Jaques Cartier
Breton explorer who claimed what is now canada, for France -
1535
Francisco Pizarro
Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that conquered the Inca Empire. He captured an killed Incan Emperor Atahualupa and claimed the lands of Spain. -
1539
Hernan De Soto
Spanish Explorer who led the first European expedition deep into the territory the the modern day United States. Also, the first European to cross the Mississippi river. -
1540
Francisco Vaquez De Cornado
Spanish Conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from Mexico to present day Kansas through parts of the South Western United States. -
1577
Sir Frances Drake
English Sea captain and privateer of the Elizabethan Era, he carried out the second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition. -
Henry Hudson
English Sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his exploration of present day Canada and North Eastern United States.
