Exploration Timeline

Leif Ericsson

Sep 10, 1000

Leif Ericsson was born in Iceland around 980. Ericsson was a viking explorer. Around the year 1000, he sailed for North Anerica with a crew of 35. He landed around the Baffin Island. In 1001, they had reached Vinland. Ericsson and his crew returned home to Greenland in 1002. He later inherited his father's position as leader of the Norse colony.

Prince Henry The Navigator

Sep 14, 1415

Prince Henry was born in 1394. He was the Son of King John I. In 1415, Prince Henry, his brothers and father attacked the Moslem port of Ceutha in north Morocco. They succeeded and it inspried Prince Henry to become an explorer. In 1418, Prince Henry started the first school for navigation.

Prince Henry The Navigator

Sep 14, 1420

Prince Henry sent ships out to create maps of the West African Coast to defeat the Muslims, to spread Christianity, and to establish trade routes. Prince Henry helped to begin the Great Age of Discovery that lasted form the 1400's to the 1500's.

Christopher Columbus

Aug 3, 1451

Christopher Columbus was born in 1451. He sailed across the Atlantic ocean in hopes to find a route to India to trade for spices. He made a total of four trips. Spain approved and funded all of his voyages.

Bartolomeu Dias

Sep 10, 1487

Bartolomeu Dias was born in 1457. Dias was a Portuguese navigator who explored Afirca's coast in 1488. He circumnavigated around the Cape of Good Hope and it later became a trading route. Later in 1500, he sailed around South America on the way to Africa and spotted Brazil. Dias was lost at sea during this expedition. He died in 1500.

Christopher Columbus's First Voyage

Aug 3, 1492

On Columbus's first trip in 1492, he set out with three ships, the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. They set sail on August 3, 1492 ans spotted the Caribbean Islands in North America on October 11, 1492. Columbus thought he had reached Asia and he called the land the Indies and called the people living there Indians The men explored the land for gold then returned home. On the trip back, the Santa Maria was wrecked and the Pinta set off to beat Columbus back to Spain.

Christopher Columbus's Second Voyage

Sep 25, 1493

On Columbus's second voyage, from 1493-1496, he sailed with 17 ships and 1,500 men to capture the Indians and find gold. He set up a base in Hispaniola. Later, he spotted the Dominica on November 3, 1493.

Vasco Da Gama

Sep 10, 1497

Vasco Da Gama was born in Sines, Portugal in 1460. Da Gama sailed from Lisbon, Portugal, on July 8, 1497, heading to the East. Then on May 20, 1498, he reahced India. He had found an ocean route to India from Portugal.

John Cabot

Sep 10, 1497

John Cabot was born in Italy in 1450. King Henry VII of England requested that Cabot sail to Canada in 1497. Cabot spotted Labrador, Newfoundland, or Cape Breton Island on June 24, 1497. His son, Sebastian Cabot went with him on this trip. The purpose of this trip was to find a Northwest passage across North America to Asia. Cabot was unsuccessful.

Christopher Columbus's Third Voyage

May 30, 1498

On his third trip, he sailed farther south to Trinidad and Venezuela. This made him the first European to set foot on the mainland of America.

Amerigo Vespucci

Sep 10, 1499

He was born in 1454 and was an Italian explorer. On his first trip, he discovered the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America.He was looking for a passage through the new land. On his second trip, he mapped some of eastern South America. The America's are named after him because he was the first person to discover the America's were a different land.

Christopher Columbus's Fourth Voyage

May 9, 1502

On his last trip, he sailed to Mexico, Honduras and Panama. He died in 1506 convinced he had reached Asia.

Sebastian Cabot

Sep 10, 1508

Sebastian Cabot was born in 1474. On his first trip, he tried to sail for China but he made it to South America. He explored the Rio de la Plata and the Paraná River. His trip was unsuccessful and he was bansihed from Africa and Spain for two years. His second trip resulted in a successful trade agreement between England and Russia.

Francisco Coronado

Sep 10, 1510

Francisco Coronado was born in 1510. He was the first European to explore North America's southwest area. On his trip he tried to convert Native Americans to Chirstianity but they refused so he killed many of them. HIs trip was a failure to the Spainish because he found no treasure.

Vadco Nunez de Balboa

Sep 15, 1513

He was born in 1475. He was a Spanish explorer. He was the first European person to see the Eastern part of the Pacific ocean. He was looking for tresures and he wanted to colonize.

Ferdinand Magellan

Sep 10, 1519

Ferdinand Magellan was born in Northern Portugal in 1480. He sailed for Spain. Him and his crew were the first people to circumnavigate around the world. Magellan was killed at a battle and only 18 out of 270 men returned home.

Hernan Cortes

Sep 10, 1519

Hernan Cortes was born in 1485. Cortes set sail with 11 ships, to the Yucatan Peninsula to look treasures. Cortes then traveled to the Aztec Empire and killed the emperor and claiming the land of Mexico for Spain. Cortes was a hero in his homeland.

Giovanni Verrazzano

Sep 10, 1524

Giovanni Verrazzano was born in 1485. He sailed for France. In 1524, he explored the norhteast coast of North America from North Carolina to Maine while he was searching for a passage to Asia.

Estevanico

Sep 10, 1528

Estevanico was born around 1500. He was an early explorer of the Southwestern United States. He was a slave that got abondoned at sea and he was one of four survivors. They finally reached Spanish settlements by 1536.

Francisco Pizarro

Sep 10, 1532

Francisco Pizarro was born in 1478, He was a Spanish conquerer who explored the Pacific coast of America. He discovered the Ican empire and he conquered it, stealing many treasures.

Hernando De Soto

Sep 10, 1542

Hernando De Soto was born around 1500. He was granted the right to conquer Florida by Spain. He sailed the Atlantic Ocean to Florida. They spent four years looking for treasures. He died during the trip.

Francis Drake

Sep 10, 1577

Francis Drake was born in 1545. He led the second voyage around the world, attacking Spanish ships. He was also a slave-trader, privateer, mayor of Plymouth, England, and naval officer.

Walter Raleigh

Sep 10, 1585

Walter Raleigh was born in 1554. He led trips to Noth and South America to find new settlements, find gold and increase trade with the New World.

Henry Hudson

Sep 10, 1607

Henry Hudson was born in 1565. He explored parts of the Arctic Ocean and Northern America. He made two trips to find to route to China, but failed both times.

Peter Minuit

Sep 10, 1626

Peter Minuit was born in 1580. He was the first director general of New Amsterdam. He was looking for a Northwest passage. He is famous for buying Manhattan.

Jacques Marquette

Sep 10, 1666

Jacques Marquette was born in 1637. He sailed for France. Him and five others were the first to find the Mississippi River.

Robert La Salle

Sep 10, 1682

Robert La Salle was born in 1643. He was the first person the sail the length of the Mississippi River, His mission was to find more fur-trade routes. He claimed the Mississippi River for France. He explored Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario also. He also tried to start a settlement in Southern Mississippi River Valley.

James cook

Sep 10, 1768

James Cook was born in 1728. Cook's first trip was to Tahiti to obsevre Venus as it passed between Earth and the sun. Then he sailed to and mapped Australia. Cook's second trip was to Antarctica and to Easter Island to show there was no large Southern continent. Cook's last trip was to find a passage across North America to Asia.