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1000
Leif Erickson Exploration
Explored lands west of Greenland. -
1487
Bartolomeu Dias Exploration
Bartolomeu Dias set out from Lisbon with two small caravels and a supply ship. King John sent Dias to explore the southernmost part of Africa. They sailed for days, staying close to the coast of Africa. The expedition eventually met with a bad storm that led it off course. Dias passed a cape on the way back to Portugal, he named it the Cape of Storms but King John renamed it the Cape of Good Hope. -
Aug 3, 1492
Christopher Columbus Exploration
Christopher Columbus and led 90 sailors into the unknown. On October 12th 1492, Columbus left his ship and went ashore. He then reached North America believing he arrived in the Indies. -
May 1, 1497
John Cabot Sailing for the English
Searched for the passage to the Pacific Ocean along the coat of Canada and Newfoundland. This became the basis of England's claim to North America -
May 10, 1497
Amerigo Vespucci
Sailed to the Northern part of South America, he realized South America was a separate continent. -
May 28, 1497
Vasco De Gama Exploration
Vasco De Gama set sail from Portugal with four ships, headed for Africa. His ships were out of sight of land for more than three months. -
1513
Francisco Pizarro Exploration
Francisco was a conquistador who explored the Andes Mountains of South America and conquered the Inca Empire -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon
Explored present day Florida, looking for the fountain of youth. -
1513
Vasco Nunez de Balbo
Hiked through steamy rainforest to find the "great waters". He then found the Pacific Ocean and was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the Americas. -
1519
Hernando Cortez Exploration
A conquistador who explored Mexico. Conquered the Aztec. -
Sep 20, 1520
Ferdinand Magellen
He sailed for Spain, reached the southernmost tip of South America, He sailed through the stormy waters of a narrow sea passage, or strait. The strait led him into a calm ocean. -
1527
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Explored the North American Southwest with Estevanico(a native slave) and others -
Apr 20, 1534
Jacques Cartier
Sailed down the Saint Lawrence river all the way to present day Montreal, claiming lands for France -
1539
Hernando De Soto
Explored Florida and North Carolina -
1542
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
Explored North American Southwest, Discovered the Great Canyon -
Sep 28, 1542
Juan Cabrillo
Discovered San Diego Bay while searching the Strait of Anian. -
Samuel de Champlain
Began exploring North America establishing the city of Quebec in the northern colony of New France, and mapping the Atlantic coast and the Great Lakes, before settling into an administrative role as the de facto governor of New France. -
Henry Hudson
Led a dutch expedition to present-day New York. From there the Dutch set up the colony of New Amsterdam. -
Henry Hudson
Had a second voyage, that went North of Canada. During that winter he was put off the ship and marooned by his crew. We have no idea of what happened to him -
Rene-Robert De La Salle
French explorer in North America, who led an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and claimed all the region watered by the Mississippi
