-
1000
Leif Eriksson - viking
First European to land on North America -
1488
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
1st trip sailed to North America, across the Atlantic Ocean, believed he had reached Asia. -
1493
Christopher Columbus- sailed for Spain
His 2nd Voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean -
1497
Vasco da Gama sailed for Portugal
First to sail around Africa all the way to Asia -
1497
John Cabot- sailed for Asia
He sailed for Asia in 1497 but ended up on the coast present day Newfoundland. -
1498
Christopher Columbus- sailed for Spain
His 3rd Voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean. -
1499
Amerigo Vespucci - Sailed for Spain
Sailed along the coast of South 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
His 4th and final Voyage to the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean -
1513
Vasco Nunez de Balboa sailed for Spain
He travels through Central America and is the first European to see the Pacific Ocean (largest ocean on earth) -
1513
Juan Ponce de Leon- sailed for Spain
Explored present-day Florida in 1513, looking for the "fountain of youth" -
1519
Hernando Cortes-sailed for Spain
A conquistador who explored Mexico in 1519. Conquered the Aztec. -
Period: 1519 to 1522
Ferdinand Magellan sailed for Spain
1st European to circumnavigate the globe. -
1524
Giovanni de Varrazano- took a northern route to explore North America
Explored the coast of North America from present-day Nova Scotia down to the Carolina's. -
Period: 1528 to 1536
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca- sailed for Spain
Accompanied by Estevanico (a slave) and others, explored the North American Southwest looking for 7 cities of gold. -
1530
Franciso Pizarro- sailed for Spain
A conquistador who explored the Andes Mountains of South America and conquered the Inca Empire. -
1535
Jacques Cartier- Sailed for the Pacific
He was looking for a route to the Pacific through North America (a Northwest Passage) but did not find one. Cartier paved the way for French exploration of North America. -
Period: 1539 to 1542
Hernando de Soto- sailed for Spain
Explored Florida and North Carolina discovered Mississippi River. -
Period: 1540 to 1542
Francisco Vasquez do Coronado- sailed for Spain
In North America Southwest, looking for cities of gold, discovered the Grand Canyon (in AZ) -
1542
Juan Cabrillo Sailed for Spain
He explores up from Mexico and goes into modern day California. -
Henry Hudson- wanted to find a passage through the Americas.
He discovered a river that now bears his name. -
Henry Hudson- wanted to find a passage through the Americas.
Hudson had discovered a bay what is now know as Hudson Bay. Thinking he had reached the Pacific, he spent months looking for an outlet. -
Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette- hoping to find precious metals along the Northwest passage.
When they realized that the Mississippi flowed south into the Gulf of Mexico rather than west to the Pacific, they headed back up river. -
Robert Cavelier de La Salle- followed the Mississippi all the way to the Gulf of Mexico
He claimed this region for France and named it Louisiana in honor of Louis XVI
