-
1418
Prince Henry the Navigator
finding a water route to asia -
1488
Bartolomeu Dias
sailed from Portugal southward made it to the bottom of Africa (discovering the southern tip of Africa, the cape of good hope.) -
1492
Leif Erickson
Was the first European to reach North America -
1492
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus voyages led to new exchanges between Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and reached a continent that was previously unknown to him. -
1497
Vasco Da Gama
sailed all around Africa and all the way to India (winning the European race for a sea route to Asia) -
1497
AMerigo Vespucci
He embarked on his first voyage. 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. It was named after him. -
1497
John Cabot
sailing for english, searched for passage to the Pacific Ocean -
1501
Vasco Nunez de Balbo
he crossed the Caribbean coasts from the east of Panama, along the Colombian coast, through the Gulf of Urabá toward Cabo de la Vela. The expedition continued to explore the north east of South America. -
1513
Francisco Pizarro
a conquistador who explored the Andes Mountains of South America and conquered the Inca Empire. -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon
explored present-day Florida, looking for the “fountain of youth” -
1519
Ferdinand Magellan
set out from Spain with a fleet of five ships to discover a western sea route to the Spice Islands. En route he discovered what is now known as the Strait of Magellan and became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean. -
1519
Hernan Cortes
a conquistador who explored Mexico in 1519. Conquered the Aztec -
1528
Alavr Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
accompanied by estevanico ( a slave) and others, explored the North American Southwest looking for 7 cities of gold. -
1535
Jacques Cartier
sailed down the saint lawrence river all the way to the present day Montreal, claiming lands for France -
1539
Hernando de Soto
explored Florida and North Carolina discovered Mississippi River -
1543
Jaun Cabrillo
was an Iberian maritime explorer best known for investigations of the West Coast of North America, undertaken on behalf of Spanish Empire. -
1554
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
cont. In North American Southwest, looking for cities of gold, discovered the grand canyon (in AZ) -
Samuel de Champlain
was a French explorer famous for his journeys in modern day Canada. During his travels, he mapped the Atlantic coast of Canada, parts of the St. Lawrence River, and parts of the Great Lakes. -
Henry Hudson
led a dutch expedition to present day New York in 1609 -
Rene-Robert De La Salle
French explorer in North America, who led an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and claimed all the region watered by the Mississippi
