The Age of Exploration: Columbus (1492) to Eve of American Revolution (1763)

Bartholomew Diaz explores African coast.

Nov 21, 1488

Columbus in New World - End of French and Indian War

Period: Oct 12, 1492 to Oct 18, 1763

Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

Nov 20, 1492

Martin Behaim makes the earliest globe of the world. It showed no New World.

Nov 21, 1492

First Africans arrive in Hispaniola with Christopher Columbus.

Nov 20, 1494

Vasco de Gama is first to sail to India around Cape of Good Hope, Africa.

Nov 21, 1497

Vincent Pinzon and Juan Dias de Solis discover Brazil.

Nov 20, 1499

Diego Diaz discovered Madagascar.

Aug 10, 1500

Vaco Nunez de Balboa discovers Pacific Ocean.

Nov 20, 1513

Ponce de Leon explores Florida.

Nov 20, 1513

Juan de Grijal explores Mexico.

Nov 20, 1518

Ferdinand Magellan begins first circumnavigation of the world.

Nov 21, 1519

Panfilo de Narvaez conquers Cuba and explores Florida.

Nov 20, 1528

Alva Cabeza de Vaca explores southwestern America.

Nov 20, 1528

Jacques Cartier explores the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

Nov 20, 1534

Hernando de Soto explores South-eastern North America

Nov 20, 1539

Francisco Vazquez Coronado explores midwest North America.

Nov 20, 1541

present day Kansas

Chocolate introduced in Europe.

Jul 7, 1550

First slaves arrive from Africa, to Brazil.

Nov 20, 1550

Ambrose Pare (France) invents artificial limbs.

Nov 20, 1550

Spaniards in Chile begin producing wine.

Nov 20, 1551

Sir Martin Frobisher explores Baffin Bay and the Hudson Strait, Canada

Nov 20, 1576

Sir Francis Drake begins his sail around the world.

Nov 21, 1577

Sir Humphrey Gilbert Claims Newfoundland (Canada) for England.

Nov 21, 1583

Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe explore North Carolina coast.

Nov 20, 1584

Sir Walter Raleigh establishes Roanoke colony.

Nov 20, 1585

Simon Stevin invented decimals.

Nov 20, 1585

Janssen invents the compound microscope.

Nov 20, 1590

Sir Richard Hawkins sails to the South Pacific Ocean.

Nov 20, 1593

Sir Walter Raleigh seeks El Dorado

Nov 20, 1595

Raleigh seeks the golden city of El Dorado in South America.

Juan de Archuleta explores Colorado.

Nov 20, 1598

William Gilbert discovered static electricity

Nov 13, 1600

Sebastian Viscaino founded San Diego, Catalina, Monterey Bay, Carmel, Santa Barbara, and many more missions for Spain.

Nov 21, 1602

CAPT John Smith founds Jamestown (Virginia colony)

Apr 26, 1607

Henry Hudson, explorer

Nov 13, 1609

Henery Hudson explored parts of the Artic Oceans and Northeastern North America including the Hudson River

Samuel de Champlain discovers Lake Champlain.

Nov 21, 1609

Galileo builds the first telescope.

Nov 1, 1610

Galileo observes the stars and Milky Way

Nov 13, 1610

Mayflower

Nov 13, 1620

Mayflower ship lands at Cape Cod Mass. with 101 colonists

Jan Batista van Helmont introduces the word "gas"

Nov 13, 1620

Peter Minuit buys island of Manhattan from the Indians.

Nov 21, 1626

Main Mersenne discovered speed of sound

Nov 13, 1636

Roger Williams

Nov 13, 1636

Roger Williams founds Prov. and Rhode Island

Harvard College

Nov 13, 1636

Harvard Collage is founded in Cambridge,Mass.

Rene Descartes refracts rainbows and clouds

Nov 13, 1637

Jacque Marquette and Louis Jolliet explore and find Mississippi River.

Nov 21, 1637

First printing press in Mass.

Nov 13, 1638

The first colonial printing press is set up in Cambridge, Mass.

Witchcraft

Nov 13, 1641

Witchcraft is made a capital crime in English law.

Blaise Pascal invented mechanical calculator

Nov 13, 1642

Abel Tasman discovered Tasmania, New Zealand, Tonga, and Fiji Islands.

Nov 21, 1642

Constitution of Rhode Island

Nov 13, 1647

The constitution of the General Assembly of Rhode Island is drafted.

slavery

Nov 13, 1650

Slavery is legalized and recongnized in the American colonies

Jan van Riebeeck founded Cape Town, South Africa.

Nov 20, 1652

England gets rid of royalty: Oliver Cromwell is the Protectorate.

Nov 21, 1653

The Great Fire of London.

Nov 21, 1666

LaSalle explored upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes region.

Nov 20, 1669

Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet explored Mississippi River.

Nov 20, 1673

Thomas Tompion discovered the way to make pocket watches.

Nov 21, 1675

The First map of all of New Spain.

Nov 21, 1691

Pierre and Jean-Baptiste LeMoyne explore Mississippi coast and discover mouth of Mississippi River.

Nov 20, 1699

CAPT. William Kidd hung in London.

May 23, 1701

Famous pirate.

William Penn is granted a Charter for the colony of Delaware

Oct 28, 1701

Scotland and England combine to become Great Britain.

Nov 20, 1707

First organ built in Philadelphia.

Nov 20, 1709

Maria Theresa becomes queen of Austrian empire.

Nov 20, 1713

First group of slaves brought to Louisiana.

Nov 20, 1716

Founding of New Orleans, by the French

Nov 20, 1718

King Peter the Great of Russia dies.

Nov 20, 1725

King George II ascends the Throne of England.

Nov 20, 1727

Baltimore is founded in colony of Maryland.

Nov 20, 1730

Vitus Bering discovers and sails through the Bering Strait.

Nov 21, 1730

Poor Richard's Almanac appears in print.

Nov 20, 1732

Published by Ben Franklin.

Russia and Austria at war with Turkey.

Nov 20, 1736

The Waltz becomes a popular dance in Europe.

Nov 20, 1750

Berlin is burned by the Russians.

Nov 20, 1760

Father Junipero Serra founds nine missions in southwest North America.

Nov 21, 1769

Capt Arthur Phillip founds Englich colony of Australia.

Jan 26, 1788