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Jan 1, 1000
Lief Erikson
He went from Scandinavia to Iceland, to Greenland, then to North America.He was the first European to set foot on the new world. There was a stone found by the St. Lawrence river that proved his discovery. -
1349
Prince Henry
Hero of Portugal and of Modern Discovery. -
1488
Bartolomeu Dias
He was the first European mariner to round the southern tip of Africa. He opened the sea route from Europe to Asia -
Aug 3, 1492
Christopher Columbus
He made European exploration and American colonization possible. He was an Italian explorer and navigator. -
1497
John Cabot
He was a Venetian explorer and navigator known for his voyage in 1497 to North America. He claimed land for Canada and England. -
Jul 8, 1497
Vasco da Gama
He was the first to link a route from Europe to Asia. He was the first to reach India by sea. -
1499
Amerigo Vespucci
He went on two voyages. One to Spain and the other to Portugal. He found Brazil and called it the New World. -
1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
He was the first European to lean an expedition to the Pacific ocean from the New world. -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. In 1508 he explored and settled Puerto Rico. -
1518
Hernan Cortes
a Spanish conquistador and explorer who defeated the Aztecs and claimed Mexico for Spain. -
Sep 20, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan
Magellan was a skilled sailor and naval officer. He lead a fleet of ships south to the Pacific ocean. His fleet reached the Philippines where he was killed in the Battle of Matcan. -
1526
Francisco Pizarro
He arrived in Peru and heard stories of a great ruler and his riches in the mountains. -
1528
Alavr Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
He landed in March 1528 near what is now Tampa Bay. -
Apr 20, 1534
Jacques Cartier
He explored the coast of Newfoundland and discovered Prince Edward Island. -
1539
Hernando de Soto
He set out for North America and discovered the Mississippi River. -
Sep 28, 1542
Jaun Cabrillo
He led the first European expedition that explored what is now the west coast of the United States. -
Sep 22, 1554
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado
He was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from Mexico to today's Kansas -
Henry Hudson
He spent his career searching for different routes to Asia, but he ended up exploring and settling of North America. -
Samuel de Champlain
He began exploring the new world in 1603. He was also the founder of the city Quebec and consolidator of the French colonies in the New world. -
Henry Hudson
Discovered the northern route to Asia by going north of Russia. -
Rene-Robert De La Salle
Led an expedition down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and claimed the regions.