Age of Exploration

Bartolomeu Dias

Dec 12, 1486

Bartolomeu Dias Bartolomeu set sail in 1486. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1487. He made Portugal the first country to find a route to India via water.

Christopher Columbus

Oct 12, 1492

Christopher ColumbusChristopher Culumbus was an Italian born, but sailed for Spain. He got his fundings for his voyage from the queen, and he landed in the Americas in 1492. He thought he was in the Indes, so he unknowingly started calling the natives "Indians". He brought back exotic animals, exotic food, and riches back to Spain. The queen funded 3 more voyages, and Christopher Columbus died thinking he had made it to the Indes.

John Cabot

Jun 24, 1497

John CabotJohn Cabot was an English explorer. He is best known for being the first Europeans, since the Vikings, to explore thr mainland of North America.

Vasco de Gama

Jul 8, 1497

vasco de GamaHe sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and reached India

Amerigo Vespucci

May 18, 1499

Amerigo VespucciHe explored 3,000 miles along the coast of South America. The Americas are named after him because he porved Christopher Columbus' theroy wrong that the Americas were the Indes.

Juan Ponce de Leon

Mar 3, 1513

Juan ponce de Leon
Juan ponce de Leon was a Spanish Explorer. He searched for the legendary Fountain of Youth, whihc he never found. He is given credit for the colonization of Florida.

Vasco Nunez de Balboa

Sep 1, 1513

Vasco Nunez de Balboa Balboa is given credit for discovering the Pacific Ocean. He founded the settlement of Santa María la Antigua del Darién in present-day Panama in 1510, which was the first permanent European settlement on the mainland of the Americas

Ferdinand Magellan

Sep 19, 1519

Ferdinand MagellanFerdinand Magellan was a captian of a crew who were exploring the coast of Patagonia. Ferdinand died, but his crew ended up nicrcumnavigating the globe. Since he was the captian, he is given credit for being the first to round the Earth.

Hernan Cortes

Aug 13, 1521

Hernan CortesHernan conquered the powerful Aztec empire in 1521. He conqured them for their abundant riches.

Fransisco Pizzaro

Nov 13, 1528

Fransisco PizzaroFransisco was in search for the legendary 7 Cities of Gold. In 1528 though, he ended up conquering the Incan Empire

Jacques Carier

May 23, 1541

Jacques CartierJacques was a French explorer. He is given credit for colonizing Canada for France.