Viking Exploration-Leif Ericson

Prince Henry sponsors Portuguese exploration

Dec 9, 1394

Henry the Navigator was born in Porto, Portugal, in 1394. Although he was neither a sailor nor a navigator, he sponsored a great deal of exploration along the west coast of Africa.

Zheng He possibly reaches America

Dec 9, 1430

Zheng He (1371-1435), or Cheng Ho, is China’s most famous navigator. He built a total of 1622 ships and made at least seven major excursions between 1405 AD and 1430 AD. He traveled more than 50,000km and visited over 30 countries, reaching Somalia and probably Europe (France, Holland and Portugal).

Columbus’ First Voyage

Dec 9, 2016

Having convinced the King and Queen of Spain to finance his voyage, Christopher Columbus departed mainland Spain on August 3, 1492. He quickly made port in the Canary Islands for a final restocking and left there on September 6.