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Jan 1, 1445
Prince Henry the Navigator
More infoAlthough he never sailed Prince Henry the navigator did sponser many discovatory voyages and started a school for navigation, mapmaking, and shipbuilding. He is best known for maping and sponsering expeditions throughout the atlantic ocean and along the coast of Africa. From1444 to 1446, Prince Henry made his greatest discoveries, sending ship after ship down the coast of Africa making many new maps. -
Jan 1, 1488
Bartolomeu Dias
More InfoBartolomeu Dias is best known for sailing around the southern tip of Africa opening trade routs between Europe and Asia. His original intention was to search for lands of Prester John, a legendary Christian priest and African king, but in the process he rounded africa and found his way toi asia. -
Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus
More InfoChristopher Columbus is known for his accidental discovery of the Americas in his attempt to find Asia and India. Columbus led many expeditions to the new world all the while thinking it was Asia. He is not the first European to have been to the Americas as the Vikings had been in modern day Canada centuries before, but he is credited for being the first to encourage new expeditions and discoveries. -
Nov 1, 1493
Juan Ponce de León
More InfoPonce de Leon is credited for leading the first expedition to Florida and for giving it its name. Acording to legend his reason for exploring Florida was his attempt to find the "fountain of youth." He was one of the gold driven explorers and most of what he discovered was found becasue he was searching for either gold or his magical foutain. -
May 20, 1498
Vasco da Gama
More Info Gama was a Portuguese explorar that is credited with navigating an ocean route form Portugal to India. he was one of many exolorers that made this trip around the southern tip of Africa around the same time but his claim to fame is his direct route and his trade with Muslim Indians he met in India. -
Jan 1, 1507
Amerigo Vespucci
More Info Amerigo Vespucci is credited for being a major name in founding, wait for it, the Americas. he was a navigator that is credited for the exploration of north and more promenantly south america. -
Sep 25, 1513
Vasco Núñez de Balboa
More infoVasco Núñez de Balboa was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from its eastern shore. In 1500, Balboa sailed from Spain to Colombia, South America. in 1510 he stowed away on a boat from Santo Domingo to San Sebastian. and then in 1511 he founded the first European settlment in South America. two years later he crossed the mountains in the center of the peninsula and became the first European to look out on the Pacific ocean. -
Sep 20, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan
More infoFerdinand Magellan was the first man to sail around the earth. He is also known for naming the pacific ocean. -
Aug 13, 1521
Hernán Cortés
more infoHernán Cortés was a spanish explorer famously known for his exploration of south america as well as his conquering of the Aztec Empire in Mexico. -
Jan 1, 1533
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro was a spanish explorer who travled along Peru and is known for his relations with the Incan people.By relations i mean his distruction of. He found gold and silver in south america.
