-
1000
Leif Erikson - Viking
First European to reach North America -
1487
Bortoloeu Dias sailed for Portugal
Sailed to the bottom of African and found the Cape of Good Hope (Bottom of Africa) -
1492
Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain
1st trip sailed to North American, across the Atlantic Ocean, believed he reached Asia. -
1493
Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain
His 2nd voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. -
1497
Vasco da Gama sailed for Portugal
First to sail around Africa all the way to Asia. -
1497
John Cabot sailed for England
He was looking for a northern sea route to Asia. He landed near Newfoundland. -
1498
Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain
His 3rd voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. -
1499
Amerigo Vespucci sailed for Spain
Sailed along the coast of South America. He took such good notes about the coast that mapmakers were convinced this was not Asia and named the new land "America" in his honor. -
1500
Pedro Alavres Cabral sailed for Portugal
On his way around Africa he went too wide and ended up in Brazil, South America. -
1502
Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain
His 4th and final voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. -
1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa sailed for Spain
He travels through central America and is the 1st European to see the Pacific Ocean (largest ocean on Earth). -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon sailed for Spain
Explored present-day Florida in 1513, looking for the "fountain of youth". -
1519
Hernando Cortes sailed for Spain
A conquistador who explored Mexico. Conquered the Aztec. -
Period: 1519 to 1522
Ferdinand Magellan sailed for Spain
1st European to circumnavigate the globe. -
1524
Giovanni de Verrazano sailed for France
His goal was to look for a northern route to Asia. He explored the coast of North America from Nova Scotia to the Carolinas. -
Period: 1528 to 1536
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca sailed for Spain
Accompanied by Estevanico (a slave) and others, explored the North American Southwest looking for 7 cities of gold. -
1532
Francisco Pizarro sailed for Spain
A conquistador who explored the Andes Mountains of South America and conquered the Inca Empire. -
1535
Jacques Cartier sailed for France
Sailed up St. Lawrence River hoping it would lead to the Pacific Ocean. He didn't make it, but found a mountain peak and named it Mont-Royal, where Montreal is located now. -
Period: 1539 to 1542
Hernando de Soto sailed for Spain
Explored Florida and North Carolina and discovered the Mississippi River. -
Period: 1540 to 1542
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado sailed for Spain
Cont. In North American Southwest, looking for cities of gold, discovered the Grand Canyon (in Arizona) -
1542
Juan Cabrillo sailed for Spain
He explorers up from Mexico and goes into modern day California. -
Henry Hudson sailed for the Dutch
In his ship, the Half Moon, sailed North on the Hudson River up to present-day Albany, New York. He did not find a passage to India, so he turned back. -
Henry Hudson sailed for England
Hudson discovered a bay, which is now called the Hudson Bay. Thinking he found the Pacific he looked for an outlet for months. His crew rebelled and they set Hudson, his son, and a few other sailors on a small boat never to be seen again. -
Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette sailed for France
Traveled the Mississippi River by canoe, hoping to find precious metals and a Northwest Passage. The realized it lead into the Gulf of Mexico and turned around. -
Robert Cavelier de La Salle sailed for France
Sailed the Mississippi River all the way to the Gulf of Mexico, claiming the region and calling it Louisiana in honor of Louis XIV.
