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May 19, 1437
Christopher Colombus
A skilled navigator from Genoa, Italy. He believed the world was round not flat. He believed he could reach Asia by sailing west. He tried 8 years for rulers from different nations to finance an expedition. Finally in 1492, Queen Isabella of Spain agreed with his plan. He was the first European to settle America. In January he boarded back to Spain with gold, parrots, cotton, other plants and animals, and a few Native Americans. He recieved great honors. -
May 17, 1450
Prince Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry set up the first European schools for navigators in Sagres, Portugal concerning sailing, navigation, and astronomy. He sent parties of explorers south along Africas west coast. They discovered the Gold Coast, Cape Verde, Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. In Africa the explorers found gold dust, ivory, and people that they enslaved. -
May 19, 1487
Bartolomea Dias
Exploration went on after Prince Henry's death. Readied ships for a voyage south along the African coast. Touched many points on Africa's west coast before the strong winds blew him south. On the return home he named what he now knew to be the southern tip of Africa the Cape of Storms. -
May 20, 1493
Treaty of Tordesillas
The Pope drew a papal line of demarcation. The imaginary line was from the North Pole to the South Pole. The Portuguese did not like the way lands were divided so they protested and called for a meeting. In 1494 the Treat of Tordesillas was drawn up, it moved the line about 500 miles farther west. Portugal was then able to claim Brazil. -
May 18, 1497
Vasco da Gama
Led a group of four ships down the Tagus River from Lisbon, Portugal. The convoy still continued, sailing north along the east coast of Africa toward the muslim trading center Mozambique. They were forced to leave so they went to Malindi (Kenya.) The trip back took da Gama 13 months. many men died by storms and lack of vitamin C. the ship reached Libson in 1499, his voyage opened the way for later explorations and an era of increased trade. -
May 18, 1497
Amerigo Vespucci
He traveled across the world and found a new place that he thought was a new world. The americas were named after him. He was sometimes called Americas Vespucci. -
May 19, 1497
John Cabot
He was an Italian navigator. He set sail to explore the coasts of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. They established claims for England in the Americas. -
May 19, 1500
Pedro Cabral
He is from Portugal. He discovered Brazil and sailed east to India. He did this from 1500-1501 -
May 18, 1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
He found the Pacific Ocean but never found the golden empire. If he traveled south along a western sea he would have found the empire of gold. A jealous Spanish official in Panama falsely charged him with disloyalty to the government and ordered him beheaded. -
May 20, 1513
Ponce de Leon
He governed Puerto Rico. He heard stories of an island to the north that has great riches. Pone de Leon sailed north from Puerto Rico to explore Florida. -
May 19, 1517
Ferdinand Magellan
Portuguese explorer who offered to find Spain. He wanted Spain to become as wealthy as Portugal. He set sail from Spain in 1519. Sailed on Great South Sea and renamed it the Pacific Ocean. -
May 18, 1519
Hernan Cortez
He led the Spanish march into the Aztec Empire. At age 19 he left the university and boarded a ship for the Spanish lands in America. He was determined to make his fortune. In 1511 Spanish troops conquered Cuba, he took part in the invasion. He was rewarded with control of several Native American villages. On February 18 he set sail for Mexico. He then took an expedition go Honduras and then served as Governor General of New Spain. -
May 19, 1523
Giovanni Verrazano
He was an Italian navigator. He was to find a northwest passage from North Carolina to New York. He was hired by the French. -
May 20, 1528
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
He was from Spain. He explored Florida. He also explored the Gulf region From Texas to Mexico. This was from 1528-1536. -
May 20, 1532
Francisco Pizzaro
He invaded Peru and conquered the Inca Empire. Took great treasures of gold and silver from the Native Americans. Him and his men built Lima, the "City of Kings." -
May 20, 1533
Jacques Cartier
He was a French navigator. He sailed up to St.Lawrence River as far as present day Montreal. This gave them the claim of eastern Canada. -
May 20, 1542
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo
He was from Spain. He explored Pacific coast to Drakes bay near San francisco. This was around 1542. -
May 18, 1559
Sir Francis Drake
He was the first Englishman to sail around the world. He was a naval captain. He was known for his overseas voyages and his capture of Spanish merchant ships. -
John Davis
He was from England. Searched northwest passage to Asia. Explored west coast of Greenland. This took place around 1585. -
Henry Hudson
He was an English navigator. The dutch hired him to locate a passage. He explored the Hundson river and sailed what is now Albany, New York. He got lost in a storm and was never found.
