Explorers

Bartolomeu Dias

Sep 1, 1486

He was a great navigator and explorer who discovered Africa's coast. Dias had led the first European expedition to sail around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, leaving Tagus, Portugal in 1487. In 1500, he traveled with Pedro Álvares Cabral, Dias sailed near South America on the way to Africa, and spotted land near Brazil, calling it the "Land of the True Cross." Although they thought it to be an island, Dias was still among the first people to see Brazil. Dias died during this trip, being lost at sea

Vasco da Gama

Sep 1, 1497

He was a portuguese explorer who discovered the ocean route from Portugal to the East. Then he sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, to India and back in 1497-1499. At that time, many people thought that this was impossible to do because they had assumed the Indian Ocean was not connected to any other seas. Then He died in 1524.

Gaspar Corte Real

Sep 1, 1500

He had sailed to Greenland in 1500, and might have also reached the coast of North America (Newfoundland). But then, Gaspar was lost at sea in about 1501, and his brother Manuel died trying to find him.

Diogo Dias

Sep 1, 1500

He was a portuguese explorer who was the first European to sail to Madagascar, Diogo Dias landed in Madagascar in 1500, and named it the Isle of St. Lawrence. His ship had been on an expedition with Pedro Álvares Cabral and Bartolomeu Dias, but Diogo Dias' ship became separated from the others at the Cape of Good Hope, and then came upon Madagasacar. He then returned to Portugal.

Pedro Álvares Cabral

Sep 1, 1500

He was an portuguese exploreran explorer, nobleman, and navigator who was the first european to see Brazil. King Manuel I of Portugal, had also came, who sent him on an expedition to India. Cabral's 13 ships left on March 9, 1500, following the route of Vasco da Gama. On April 22,1500, he sighted land (Brazil), claiming it for Portugal and naming it the "Island of the True Cross."

Afonso de Albuquerque

Sep 1, 1515

He was a portuguese explorer who was a soldier and explorer, who had sailed to the Spice Islands in 1507-1511, trying to create trade with that area, from Europe. Then he sailed around Africa to the Indian Ocean. He destroyed the Indian city of Calicut in January, 1510, and took Goa (in southern India) in March, 1510, claiming Goa for Portugal.

Fancisco Fernández de Córdoba

Sep 1, 1517

He was a portuguese explorer who was a slave traiter who had ecplored Mexico and Nicuragua.

Ferdinand Magellan

Sep 1, 1519

He was a portuguese explorer who had led the first expedition that sailed around the Earth in 1519-1522. Magellan also named the Pacific Ocean: which means that it is a calm, peaceful ocean.

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo

Sep 1, 1543

In 1542, he sailed from Acapulco to southern California, claiming California. He named San Diego Bay and Santa Barbara. He died on San Miguel Island (in the Santa Barbara Channel) after a fight with Indians, from some isues he had resulted with a broken leg.He was the first European explorer of the Californian Coast.

Francisco Vásquez de Coronado

Sep 1, 1554

He was a portuguese explorer who was the first European to explore North America's Southwest.