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Jan 1, 1450
Prince Henry the Navigator from Portugal
In the early 1400's Prince Henry set up schools for navigating and his major achievement is when he sent parties of explorers south along Africa's west coast. He used the Portuguese caravel to sail. He discovered the Gold Coast, Cape Verde, Azores, Madeira, and Canary Islands. The islands were used for supply stations on other explorations. -
Jan 1, 1487
Bartolomeu Dias from Portugal
He went to many places on Africa's west coast but a wind blew him south. After the wind stopped he went to the east coast but he didn't know his ships had been blown around the continent. On his way home he named the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Storms. But later, the king renamed it Cape of Good Hope because then the Portuguese knew that they could sail to the far east by going around Africa. -
Aug 17, 1492
Christopher Columbus from Genoa
He believed that the world was round, so he tried to get people to finance him to sail to Asia. Finally, Queen Isabella of Spain suppported him. He sailed from Spain with the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. He found and island in the Bahamas and thought he was in the Indies. On Christmas the Santa Maria was wrecked. He headed back to Spain on the Nina. He got lots of honors and went to search for Asia again. He thought he found Asia and never knew he had found both of the Americas. -
May 18, 1493
The Treaty of Tordesillas from Spain
Spanish monarchs were worried that Portugal might try to take the riches Columbus discovered from Spain. They asked Pope Alexander VI for help. The Pope drew a papal line of demarcation. Spain had the land west of the line and Portugal had the non-Christian lands east of the line. The Portuguese did not like the way it was divided. In 1494 the treaty was made. It moved the line and Portugal claimed Brazil. But other countries did not pay attention and explored and claimed land where they wanted. -
May 18, 1497
Amerigo Vespucci from Spain and Portugal
From 1497-1504 he explored the Atlantic coast of South America. He was one of the first to believe he had reached a new world. -
May 18, 1497
John Cabot from England
In 1497, English merchants persuaded their king to send him to the Far east by a northwest route. He was an Italian navigator that set sail with a handful of men. He explored the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. He established claims for England when he was in the Americas. -
May 20, 1498
Vasco da Gama from Portugal
He was sent on an oder from the king to proclaim the Christian faith and to wrest kingdoms and new states from the hands of the barbarins. His ships landed at Calicut on this date and he alarmed the Arab and Persian merchants. They attempted to kill Vasco because feared that Portugal would take over the trade between Africa and India. In August he left with new spices but lots of his men died on the trip home. -
May 17, 1500
Pedro Cabral from Portugal
He discovered Bazil and he sailed east to India. -
May 18, 1513
Ponce de Leon from Spain
He sailed North from Peurto Rico to explore Florida. -
May 17, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan from Spain
He offered to find Spain a route to the Indies because he wanted Spain to become as wealthy as Portugal. He sailed from Spain through a straight is now named after him. He gave the Pacific Ocean it's name. He died in a local war on the Philippine Isalnds and his ships continued on. They arrived in Seville, Spain, in 1522 with 18 men. He sailed completely around the world and proved that Columbus didn't land in Asia, he landed in the Americas. -
May 18, 1519
Hernan Cortes from Spain
In 1519 though 1521 he invaded Mexico. He had guns and smallpox spread. He destroyed the Native American empire that was ruled by the Aztec king Montezuma. Him and his troups took a lot of gold and brought it back to Spain. -
May 18, 1523
Giovanni Verrazano from France
The French hired him to find a northwest passage again. He was an Italian navigator that sailed along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to New York. -
May 17, 1528
Vasco Nunez de Balboa from Spain
He explored Florida and Gulf region from Texas to Mexico. It took him from 1528 to 1536 -
May 18, 1528
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca from Spain
From 1528 through 1536 he explored Florida and Gulf region from Texas to Mexico. -
May 18, 1532
Francico Pizzaro from Spain
He invaded Peru and in five years, conquered the Inca Empire. He took gold and silver from the Native Americans. Then, him and his men headed towards the coast where they built Lima, the "City of Kings". -
May 18, 1534
Jacques Cartier from France
He sailed up the St Lawrence River as far as Montreal. He gave the French a claim to eastern Canada. -
May 18, 1542
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo from Spain
He explored the Pacific Coast to Drake's Bay near San Francisco. -
May 18, 1577
Sir Francis Drake from England
From 1577-1580 he sailed around the world. He was the first englishman to do that. -
John Davis from England
He explored west coast of Greenland in search of a northwest passage to Asia. -
Henry Hudson from England
The dutch sent him to locate the passage. He explored the Hudson River and sailed to Albany, New York. He set out on a second voyage in 1610, He became lost in storm and was never seen again. But his first voyage gave the Dutch claim to the Americas.
