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Early Explorers

By Mr. Z.
  • 1000

    Lief Erickson - Viking

    1st European to reach N. America
  • 1487

    Bartolomeu Dias sailed for Portugal

    Sailed to the bottom of Africa and found the Cape of Good Hope (Bottom of Africa)
  • 1492

    Christopher Columbus - sailed for Spain

    Christopher Columbus - sailed for Spain
    1st trip sailed to North America, across the Atlantic Ocean, believed he had reached Asia.
  • 1493

    Christopher Columbus - sailed for Spain

    Christopher Columbus - sailed for Spain
    His 2nd Voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean
  • 1497

    Vasco De Gama sailed for Portugal

    1st to sail around Africa all the way to Asia.
  • 1498

    Christopher Columbus - sailed for Spain

    Christopher Columbus - sailed for Spain
    His 3rd Voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean
  • 1499

    Amerigo Vespucci - Sailed for Spain

    Amerigo Vespucci - Sailed for Spain
    Sailed along the coast of S. America. He took such good notes about the coast that mapmakers were convinced this was not Asia and named the new land "America" in his honor.
  • 1500

    Pedro Alavres Cabral sailed for Portugal

    On his way around Africa he went to wide and ended up in Brazil, South America
  • 1502

    Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain

    Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain
    His 4th & final Voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean
  • 1513

    Juan Ponce de León - Sailed for Spain

    He went looking for the Fountain of Youth in modern day Florida.
  • 1513

    Vasco Nunez de Balboa sailed for Spain

    He travels through central America and is the 1st European to see the Pacific Ocean (largest ocean on earth)
  • 1519

    Hernando Cortes- Sailed for Spain

    Hernando Cortes- Sailed for Spain
    Went into Central America (modern day Mexico) and conquered the Aztec.
  • Period: 1519 to 1522

    Ferdinand Magellan sailed for Spain

    1st European to circumnavigate the globe.
  • 1520

    Ferdinand Magellan sailed for Spain

    He circumnavigated the globe. It took just under 3 years to do.
  • 1542

    Juan Cabrillo Sailed for Spain

    He explorers up from Mexico and goes into modern day California