Exploration By Aroush123 Sep 15, 1254 Marco Polo Marco Polo's famous travelogue was penned in prison. Aug 20, 1450 Bartolomeu Dias who was the first European to sail past the Cape of Good Hope. Aug 26, 1451 Christiphor Columbus Found America Dec 24, 1469 Vasco Da Gama Had 6 sons and 1 daughter Feb 4, 1480 Ferdinand Magellan He was a sea captain and fought in the military