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Jan 1, 1450
Prince Henry the Navigator
He was born in 1394.Set up fist European school for navigators in Sagres, Portugal. Never sailed on a single ocean voyage. Eager for Portuguese sailors to explore west side of Africa.He saw this was a way to extend Portugal's trade and power.Henry sent explores to the Africa's west coast and discoverd the Gold Coast and Cape Verde. He died in 1460 -
Aug 1, 1492
Christopher Columbus
He was a navigator from Genoa, Italy. He believed the Earth was round and he could go to Asia by sailing west. No one would help him on the voyage but then Queen Isabella agreed to support him. Set sail from Spain with 3 small ships. Columbus's crew grew scared of sailing and he refused to turn back. The crew then threated with mutiny. The second day teh lookout spotted land. He then landed on the Bahamas. Several months he sailed the islands of Cuba, Bahamas, and Hispaniola. -
Jun 7, 1494
Treaty of Tordesillas
Spain was worried that portugal would take columbus's riches and land he discovered, so they asked the Pope for help. The Pope created a dividing line between land for Spain and Portugal. Spain and Portugal were unhappy, so they made the Treaty of Tordesillas, which moved the line west 500 miles, so Portugal claimed Brazil. No other countries followed these rules, and they claimed land as they pleased. -
Jan 1, 1497
Amerigo Vespucci
Vespucci was born in Italy, and was well taught by his uncle. He was one of the first people that discovered the The World(the Americas), along with Christopher Columbus.He went on 2 to 4 voyages for Spain and Portugal. He sailed to South and Central America. He was so well know for his accomplishments, the new lands were named the Americas, after Amerigo Vespucci's first name. He died in 1512 -
Jan 1, 1497
Bartolomeu Dias
From a Portuguel noble family. Made ships for Vasco da Gama.Very well educated. King John II ordered Dias to sail the southern tip of Africa to make contact with Christian ruler.He sailed from the River Tgus and around Africa to the Indies and met up with his brother Pero Dias. Dias dies in a violent storm in the Cape of Good. -
Jan 1, 1497
John cabot
John Cabot was born in Italy and soon moved to England. At the king's request, he sailed with the small ship mMatthew to find a route through America to Asia in 1497. He didn't find a passage, but he named many islands and claimed land for England. John then took a larger expedition in 1498, but it is unkown if he reached America. He died one year later, in 1499 -
Jul 8, 1497
Vasco Da Gama
He was a Portugese noble that led a convoy of four ships. He was ordered by the king to proclaim Christian faith. After four months his ships sailed the Cape of Good Hope. He was interuped because his crew became sick but he continued and sailed the east coast of Africa to the island trade center of Mozambique. On May 20, 1498 da Gama's ships landed at Calicut. He travels stoped because they got the disease scurvy. -
Oct 10, 1500
Pedro Cabral
He was born in Portugal in 1467. He came from the Portuguese noble family. Member of royal Portuguese court of King Manuel I. King John II appoints Pedro leader of sail of the Indies. Pedro also explores the River Tagus with 13 ships. The voyage of Indies he explores Cape Verde Islands, the New World, coast of Brazil, and named land he discovered the Island of the True Cross which had many needed resources. He died in 1520 -
May 19, 1504
Hernan Cortez
Spanish conqueror of Mexico. Born in 1485 in Medellin, Extremadura. Family was of spanish nobles. He set sail what is now Dominican Republic to try out the New World. He joined the army and played a part of the capture of Cuba.He took hostage of Montezuma untill he swore allegiance to Charles V, king of Spain. -
Jan 1, 1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
He searched for treasures along the northern caost of South America and the Gulf of Urada. He was forced to abandon their leaky ship in Hispaniola. He stowed away on a boat from Santo Dominago. They arrived at San Sebastian they saw they were burned to the ground. Balboa founded a colony, the first European settlemant in South America. He married the daughter of Careta. He sailed in 1513 with hundreds of Spaniards and Indians across the Gulf of Uraba to Darien Peninsula. -
Mar 3, 1513
Ponce de Leon
First European to set foot on Flordia. Also made the oldest European settlemant in Puerto Rico and discovered the Gulf Stream. Searched for the fountain of youth and other valuables. A soldier in war with Muslims in Spain. Appionted governor of Dominican province of Higuey. He sailed from Puerto Rico with three ships and 200 men. After stops at Grund Turk and San Salvador they reached the east coast of Florida. -
Sep 8, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan
Born in Northern Portugal in 1480. He sailed to India and the Far East. He proposed to King Charles V that westward voyage around the tip of South America would take you to Moluccas. Magellan sailed from Seville, Spain, San Antonio, Concepcion, Victoria, and Santiago. He was killed near the end of his voyage on the Island of Mactan. -
Jan 17, 1524
Giovanni Verrazano
Giovanni was a Italian navigator that was born in 1485. He sailed in 1542 to the Cape Fear in North Carolina. From there he travel to Maine and then on to Canada. He believed that North America was a thin strip of land seperating the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He was killed and eaten by indians in 1528. A bridge in New York is named after him. -
Jan 1, 1527
Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca
Nunez sailed in a crew of 250-300 men, commanded by Panfilo de Narvaez. They barely survived a hurricane and landed in Florida. From there they endured indian attacks and storms. The surviving men traveled on 5 rafts, and 2 of them landed on Galveston Island. Once there, they searched for a Mexican settlement. By 1533, there were 3 suvivors and Nunez. They endured many obstacles but eventually made it to Culiacan, and then mexico city. He later goverened a spainish settlement in paraguay. -
Jan 1, 1532
Francisco Pizzaro
Was a Spanish conquistador who traveled a lot of the Pacific coast of America along Peru. He discovered the Incan empire and conquered it and stole as many gold,silver, and other treasures. Pizzaro landed at San Mateo Bay in 1532. After traveling through desert and snow-cap mountains he and his men arrived at Cajamarca. Atahuallpa asked Pizzaro after they won a civil war against Incas. Pizzaro attacked them and killed thousands of his men and he had Atahuallpa strangled and he ended the Incan. -
Jan 1, 1534
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who led three expebitions to North America. He was born in 1491 and set sail on his first voyage in 1534. On his 3rd expebition he founded a town in what is now Canada, but it was abandoned during a extremely cold winter. Indians led him to a town named "Kanata" during his expeditions, but he later named the whole region Canada. He died in 1557. -
Jan 1, 1542
Juan Rodriguez Cabirillo
Cabrillo was the first person to explore the Californian coast.He sailed from Acapulco in Spain, working for King Charles 1. He claimed the land for Spain, because he was working for them. Cabrillo named San Diego Bay and Santa Barbara. He died from an injury caused by a fight with indians and died on San Miguel island in 1543 -
Dec 13, 1577
Sir Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake was born in 1545. He was the second person to go on a voyage to sail across the world.(Magellan was the 1st) He set sail from england in 1577 and sailed for 3 years with 6 ships. Along the way, he traded with natives, pirated Spanish ships, and claimed land for England. He returned to England in 1580 and was rewarded a large sum of money by the queen for his efforts. He died 16 years later, in 1596. -
John Davis
He was a British scientist, and cartographer. He was well connected to the explores of his time. His first voyage ws exploreing Cumberland Sound.He thought there was a Northwest Passage but he was stopped because of ice. He also rediscovered Greenland and he helped the Europe knowledge of the Arctic. -
Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson was an English explorer who was born in 1565. He sailed in 1607, hired by the Muscovy company to find a route through North America to Asia, and explored regions in northeastern North America and the Artic Ocean. He also discovered a small island, called Jan Mayen Island. He also dicovered the land that became New York. He died in 1611 due to a mutiny by his crew. 3 water bodies were named after him: The Hudson River, Strait, and Bay.
