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Jan 1, 1271
Marco Polo
Marco Polo set sail sometime in 1271. He was with his dad, Niccolo Polo, and his uncle, Maffeo Polo. He set sail because he wanted to find a new route to China. He was sucessful, but it took him 24 years. -
Jan 1, 1448
Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias set sail sometime in 1448. His reason for exploration was to sail around the southern-most tip of Africa. He was sucessful. -
Aug 3, 1492
Christptopher Columbus
He set sail on August 3, 1492. There were 3 ships: The Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina. His reason for exploration was to find a new route to the Indies. He wasn't sucessful, but he did find new land. -
Jan 1, 1497
Vasco Da Gama
Vasco set sail in 1497 on a ship called Sao Gabriel. His mission was to reach India and open and open a sea route from Europe to the east. His mission was sucessful, and it only took about a year. -
Jan 1, 1497
Giovanni Caboto
Giovanni Caboto set sail in 1497 to claim land for King Henry VII of England. He was not sucessful, because he landed in Canada, mistaking it for Asia. -
Jan 1, 1499
Amerigo Vespucci
Amerigo Vespucci set sail in 1499 on a journey to prove Christopher Comlubus and Giovanni Caboto wrong. He was sucessful in proving them wrong, and eventually came to realize that Columbus, Giovanni and him had found new land. -
Mar 9, 1500
Pedro Alvarez Cabral
Pedro set sail on March 9th 1500 because King Manual the 1st of Portugal sent him on an expedition to India. He was not sucessful, because he landed in America and claimed land. -
Jan 1, 1513
Ponce De Leon
He set sail in 1513 because he was going to conquer land, and find the Fountain of Youth. He was the first Spainard to set foot in present day Miami. He conquered Florida -
Jan 1, 1513
Vasco Nunez De Balboa
He set sail in 1513 because he was the sailor that was to search for new sea in the south, and to find gold. He wasn't sucessful in finding gold, but he did find the Pacific Ocean, and found Spain, where he claimed land all across the shore. -
Jan 1, 1519
Hernando Cortez
He set sail in 1519, because he wanted to take over Mexico (Aztec) 7 cities of gold. He set 1 ship back to Cuba and burned the rest so that no men could leave. -
Sep 1, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan
He set sail in September 1519 to find a way to Asia from going east. He was not sucessful, because he died, but his crew was sucessful. -
Dec 11, 1527
Panfilo de Narvez
He set sail in 1527 . His expedition was to conquer all the lands along the Gulf of Mexico. He fought Native Americans, and only 4 men made it to Mexico City -
Jan 1, 1539
Fernanado De Soto
He set sail in 1539 to Georgia, because he wanted to find gold. He didn't find any gold. He fought Native Americans along their travels. They claimed Southeastern land for Spain.