Age of exploration

Important Events During Age of Exploration

  • Prince Henry the Navigator Dies
    Nov 13, 1460

    Prince Henry the Navigator Dies

    Born 1394, he was a Portuguese prince who greatly encouraged exploration in his life and was a big factor to the start of the Age of Exploration.
  • Bartolomeu Dias' Voyage
    Jan 1, 1488

    Bartolomeu Dias' Voyage

    Portuguese explorer, was the first European to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa, opening a sea route from Europe to Asia.
  • Columbus' Voyages
    Jan 1, 1492

    Columbus' Voyages

    (1492-1502) As a navigator and admiral for Spain, he made four voyages to the Americas and settled colonies. His discoveries and explorations later led to the knowledge that there was another continent.
  • Amerigo Vespucci's Discovery
    Jan 1, 1497

    Amerigo Vespucci's Discovery

    He explored the coast of Southern America, and figured out that it wasn't part of Asia, yet an entirely new continent. This discovery is how people knew that there was a new existing continent.
  • John Cabot's Explorations
    Jan 2, 1497

    John Cabot's Explorations

    Italian navigator and explorer, he followed in past explorer's steps and conquered land in Canada and the Americas. Thought to be the first European encounter with Canada since the vikings in the 11th century.
  • Vasco Da Gama's Voyage
    Jan 3, 1497

    Vasco Da Gama's Voyage

    One of the most known people from these times, as a Portuguese explorer, he sailed around the South of Africa and reached India, opening a route from Europe to India. This was a great milestone for European explorations.
  • Nunez de Balboa's Explorations
    Jan 1, 1513

    Nunez de Balboa's Explorations

    As a Spanish governor, explorer, and conquistador, he made many voyages - one of which was the first European expedition to reach the Pacific Ocean from the New World. This later helped Spanish colonization of the Americas.
  • Hernan Cortes' Voyage
    Jan 1, 1519

    Hernan Cortes' Voyage

    As a Spanish conquistador, he sailed to Mexico under Spanish rule, and conquered the Aztec Empire. This helped the Spanish later on during their colonization of the Americas.
  • Magellan's Voyage
    Jan 1, 1521

    Magellan's Voyage

    As a Portuguese explorer he led first circumnavigation around the world. As this was a time when people still thought the Earth was flat, Magellan made a huge breakthrough for all explorations to come.
  • Francisco Pizarro's Voyage
    Jan 1, 1522

    Francisco Pizarro's Voyage

    Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador who conquered the Incan Empire and all of their riches. This helped the Spanish later on during their colonization of the Americas.