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Jan 1, 1488
Portugal - Bartolomeu Dias
Captain Bartolomeu Dias ventured far down the coast of Africa until he and his creew reached the tip. Dias explored the southeast coast of Africa and then considered sailing to India. -
Aug 3, 1492
Spain - Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus wanted to find a route to Asia by sailing west across the Atlantic Ocean. on October 12, Columbus reached an Island in the Caribbean. He thought it was the East Indies but later got known to be North America. -
Jan 1, 1497
Portugal - Vasco Da Gama
Vasco Da Gama began exploring the east African coast. In 1498 he reached to port of Calicut, on the sowthwestern coast of India. -
May 2, 1497
England - Cabot
Cabot Sailed to Canada and found Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. -
Jan 1, 1500
Portugal - Pedro Alvares Cabral
The portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral reached the shores of modern day Brazil and claimed the land for his country. -
Jan 1, 1513
Spain - Juan Ponce de leon
Juan Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of modern day Florida and claimed it for Spain. -
Jan 1, 1521
Spain - Cortes
Cortes and his men conquered the Aztecs. -
Jan 1, 1524
France - Giovanni da Verrazzano
Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed to North America in search of a sea route to the Pacific. While he did not find the route, Verrazzano did discover what is today New York harbor. -
Jan 1, 1532
Spain - Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro marched a small force into South America. He conquered the Incan Empire. -
Jan 1, 1533
Spain - Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro then marched on the Incan capital, Cuzco. He captured it without a struggle. -
Jan 1, 1540
Spain - Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado led an expedition throughout much of present day Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. He was searching for another wealthy empire to conquer. Coronado found little gold amidst the dry deserts of the Southwest. -
France - Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain sailed up the St. Lawrence with about 32 colonists. They founded Quevec, which became the base of France’s colonial empire in North America, known as New France. -
Netherland - Henry Hudson
He was searching for a northwest sea route to Asia. Hudson did not find a route. He did, however, explore three waterway that were later name for him – The Hudson river, Hudson Bay, and Hudson Strait -
Spain - Ferdinand Magellan
A Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines. Spain claimed the islands and began settling them in 1565.
