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Portugal captures Ceuta in North Africa, marking the start of European overseas expansion.
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Portuguese explorer Bartolommeo Dias rounds the Cape of Good Hope, proving a sea route to Asia is possible.
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Christoper Columbus, sailing for Spain, reaches the New World (Bahamas, Cuba, and Hispaniola).
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Treaty of Tordesillas divides newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal.
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Vasco de Gama (Portugal) sails around Africa to India, opening a direct sea route to Asia.
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Pedro Álvares Cabral claims Brazil for Portugal.
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Vasco Núñez de Balboa (Spain) crosses Panama and is the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
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Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition (Spain) becomes the first to circumnavigate the globe.
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Jacques Cartier (France) explores the St. Lawrence River, laying the foundation for New France.
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Spain establishes St. Augustine, Florida, the first permanent European settlement in what is now the U.S.
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Francis Drake (England) completes a circumnavigation of the globe.
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England establishes Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America.
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Samuel de Champlain (France) founds Quebec, strengthening France’s North American presence.
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The Pilgrims (England) establish Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts.
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Marquette and Joliet (France) explore the Mississippi River, expanding French claims in North America.