The Age of DIscovery

Viking Exploration - Leif Ericson

Dec 7, 1000

Around A.D. 1000, Eriksson sailed to Norway, where King Olaf 1st converted him to Christianity. According to one school of thought, Eriksson sailed off course on his way back to Greenland and landed on the North American continent, where he explored a region he called Vinland. (www.history.com/topics/exploration/leif-eriksson)

Zheng He possibly reaches America

Jun 12, 1405

Between 1405 and 1433 he led seven epic voyages to the Indian Ocean.Zheng He’s fleet traveled as far west as Africa visiting many regions including Brunei, Java, Thailand, India, Arabia and Africa. He presented to the regions many things available in China including gold, silver, porcelain, and silk. (https://learnodo-newtonic.com/zheng-he-facts)

Prince Henry sponsors Portuguese exploration

Jun 18, 1419

About 1418, Prince Henry started the first school for oceanic navigation along with an astronomical observatory at Sagres, Portugal. In this school, people were trained in nagivation, map-making, and science, in order to sail down the west of Africa.
Sails west of Africa, off the western Sahara Desert and had frequent, violent storms and strong currents. The Europeans called that ocean, "Sea of Darkness" - http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/h/henry.shtml

Columbus’ First Voyage

Aug 3, 1492

After Columbus conviced the king and queen, He sailed of to the atlantic ocean to search for a new route to trade with china. But found the islands on the Caribbean Sea instead of china.He Explored the new world, found out the smoking of tobacco in a native tanio village and sail to Spain with his discoveries while leaving 39 mens behind.
http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/latinamericatheconquest/p/Columbusfirst.htm

Amerigo Vespucci

May 10, 1497

On May 10, 1497, he embarked on his first voyage to the New World. But on his third and most successful voyage, he discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. Believing he had discovered a new continent, he called South America the New World. In 1507, America was named after him. He died of malaria in Seville, Spain, on February 22, 1512.

Vasco de Gama

Sep 18, 1519

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese sea captain. He set sail on an expedition for Spain. The purpose of his voyage was to reach Asia by sailing around the Americas. He Set sail with a fleet of five ships and 250 sailors. First sail to Brazil then sailed south along the south America coast.
`http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/03ageofexploration/Magellan's_Cre.html