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1415
Portugal captures Ceuta
Portugal seizes the North African port of Ceuta, marking the beginning of its overseas expansion and interest in exploring the African Coast -
1488
Bartolomeu Dias rounds the Cape of good hope
Dias become the first European to sail around the southern tip of America, opening a sea route to Asia -
1492
Christopher Columbus lands in the Caribbean
Columbus, sailing for Spain, reaches the Bahamas, initiating European exploration and colonization of the Americas -
1492
Treaty of Tordesillas
Spain and Portugal agree to divide newly discovered lands outside Europe along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands -
1497
John Cabot explores North America
Cabot, under English commission, sails to the coast of Newfoundland, laying the groundwork for British claims in the new world -
1498
Vasco da Gama reaches India
Da Gama successfully sails to Calicut, India, establishing a direct maritime link between Europe and Asia -
1500
Pedro Alvarez Cabral discovers Brazil
Cabral lands on the coast of present day Brazil, claiming it for Portugal under the Treaty of Tordesillas. -
1513
Vasco Nuñez de Balboa sees the Pacific Ocean
Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama and become the first European to view the pacific from the new world -
1519
Magellan’s expedition circumnavigates the globe
Ferdinand Magellan’s fleet completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth, proving the world’s roundness and vastness -
1524
Giovanni da verrazzano explores the Atlantic coast
verrazzano, sailing for France explores the Atlantic coast of North America, including New York bay -
1534
Jacques Cartier exploiters the St. Lawrence River
Cartier navigates the St. Lawrence River, claiming parts of Canada for France -
1577
Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe
Drake becomes the first Englishman to sail around the world, boosting England's maritime prestige -
Defeat of the Spanish Armada
The English navy defeat Spain’s Armada, marking a shift in naval supremacy and encouraging English exploration -
Establishment of Jamestown
England establishes its first permanent colony in North America at Jamestown, Virginia -
Samuel de Champlain founds Quebec
Champlain establishes Quebec City, solidifying French presence in North America -
La salle claims Louisiana
Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, explores the Mississippi River and claims the Louisiana territory for France