Important Events During Age of Exploration

Prince Henry the Navigator Dies

Nov 13, 1460

Born 1394, he was a Portuguese prince who greatly encouraged exploration in his life and was a big factor to the start of the Age of Exploration.

Bartolomeu Dias' Voyage

Jan 1, 1488

Portuguese explorer, was the first European to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa, opening a sea route from Europe to Asia.

Columbus' Voyages

Jan 1, 1492

(1492-1502) As a navigator and admiral for Spain, he made four voyages to the Americas and settled colonies. His discoveries and explorations later led to the knowledge that there was another continent.

Amerigo Vespucci's Discovery

Jan 1, 1497

He explored the coast of Southern America, and figured out that it wasn't part of Asia, yet an entirely new continent. This discovery is how people knew that there was a new existing continent.

John Cabot's Explorations

Jan 2, 1497

Italian navigator and explorer, he followed in past explorer's steps and conquered land in Canada and the Americas. Thought to be the first European encounter with Canada since the vikings in the 11th century.

Vasco Da Gama's Voyage

Jan 3, 1497

One of the most known people from these times, as a Portuguese explorer, he sailed around the South of Africa and reached India, opening a route from Europe to India. This was a great milestone for European explorations.

Nunez de Balboa's Explorations

Jan 1, 1513

As a Spanish governor, explorer, and conquistador, he made many voyages - one of which was the first European expedition to reach the Pacific Ocean from the New World. This later helped Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Hernan Cortes' Voyage

Jan 1, 1519

As a Spanish conquistador, he sailed to Mexico under Spanish rule, and conquered the Aztec Empire. This helped the Spanish later on during their colonization of the Americas.

Magellan's Voyage

Jan 1, 1521

As a Portuguese explorer he led first circumnavigation around the world. As this was a time when people still thought the Earth was flat, Magellan made a huge breakthrough for all explorations to come.

Francisco Pizarro's Voyage

Jan 1, 1522

Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Incan Empire and all of their riches. This helped the Spanish later on during their colonization of the Americas.