-
1000
Leif Erikson
He was a viking. Leif was blown off course and landed on the coast of North America. He was a part of the first group to reach North America. -
Jan 1, 1488
Bartolomeu Dias
Sailed for Europe. He was originally from Portugal. Sailed to the southern tip of Africa in 1488. He died May 29, 1500 in South Africa. -
Aug 3, 1492
Christopher Columbus
He sailed for Spain in 1492. He tried to reach Asia, but sailed west and ended up in America. He believed he reached Asia. -
May 1, 1497
John Cabot
John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer. He was part of the earliest known European explorers of North America. He sailed for King Henry the Second. -
May 10, 1497
Amerigo Vespucci
Was an Italian merchant, explorer, and navigator. On his third trip, he found present day Rio de Janeiro. America is named after him.He died February 22, 1512 in Seville, Spain. -
Jul 8, 1497
Vasco de Gama
Sailed for Europe. He was the first European to reach India by boat. He had 170 men and 4 ships. He died on December 24, 1524 in Kochi, India. -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon
He was first Spanish sailor to reach present-day Florida. He was looking for gold and a legendary fountain of youth. He never found it. He died due to infection from a wound. -
Sep 26, 1513
Vasco Nunez de Balbo
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador.Crossed the Panama to get to the Pacific ocean in 1513. He was the European to lead a expedition into the Pacific from New World. -
1518
Hernan Cortez
He landed on the east coast of Mexico. He conquered the Aztec empire. He found large sums of gold. -
Sep 20, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan
He was a Portuguese explorer. He organised the Spanish expedition to the Indies. The expedition ended up being the first to circumnavigate the world. Ferdinand Magellan was killed in a fight on Mactan Island in 1521. -
Jan 1, 1524
Francisco Pizzaro
Pizarro was an explorer, soldier and conquistador. He is also known for conquering the Incas and killing their leader, Atahuapla. He also lead expeditions that ended up leading to the conquest of Peru. -
Mar 1, 1528
Alavar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Was a Spanish explorer of the new world. He docked in present day Tampa. He was also one of four survivors of the 1527 Narváez expedition. -
Apr 2, 1534
Jacques Cartier
He claimed Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. -
Jan 1, 1538
Hernando de Soto
He led an exploration of Florida and the Eastern US. Crossed the Mississippi river in 1541. He made it as far as Oklahoma and then died of fever. -
Feb 1, 1540
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Coronado was a Spanish conquistador. He led a large expedition from Mexico to present-day Kansas. He was intrigued be the supposed "7 Cities of Gold." -
Jun 27, 1542
Juan Cabrillo
He was a maritime explorer. He was the first European to explore present-day California. Sailed for Spanish Empire. -
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel made between 21 and 29 trips across the Atlantic Ocean. He also founded Quebec and New France. He died of a stroke in 1635. -
Henry Hudson
Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator. He explored present day Canada. He went to the New World on one condition, to have a river named after him. -
Rene-Robert De La Salle
He was a fur trader and explorer in North America. He explored the area close to the Great Lakes. He was murdered in 1687.
