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Major improvements are made in sailing ships. http://www.globetrot.us/stulinks/2StuLinks/2rr/caravel.html
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The long lost map of the world drawn in the second century by the geographer Ptolomey is rediscovered in western Europe. Ptolomey's map makes Columbus believe that Asia can be reached by sailing west from Europe.
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Prince Henry the Navigator organizes a School of Navigation and base for explorations on Cape St. Vincent in Portugal. http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/page/h/henry.shtml
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The first caravels are built. For the first time, an Asian ship enters the Atlantic Ocean by rounding the Cape of Good Hope. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravel
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Moslem Turks capture the great Christian city of Constinople. Some historians use data as the beginning of the historical period called the Renaissance. After this time, the Genoese put their financial support behind Portuguese efforts to find a new route to Asia.
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In 1465 astronomers and navigators greatly improved travel by way of the stars. This technique had been around for many years but was now being improved upon. These improvements made travel by the stars more effective and better.
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On October 10th 1487 the first European landed on the Southern-most tip of Africa. This person was Bartholomeu Dias a Knight of the royal court in Portugal. This expedition opened up new routes for trade. It also set up one of the most important ports for navigation, this was called the Cape of Good Hope.
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Columbus discovers the West Indies in the New World. Columbus also learns that compasses change direction slightly as the longitude changes. After seven centuries, the last Moslems are driven from Spanish soil. Leonardo Da Vinci draws a plan for a flying machine.
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Amerigo Vespucci explores along the coast of South America and decides it is a new continent and is not a part of Asia.
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A new map of the world uses the name "America" for newly discovered southern continent in honor of Amerigo Vespucchi.
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Ferdinand Magellan leaves Spain with 5 ships to find a "southwester passage" to Asia. Hernan Cortez enters the Aztec Capital of Tenochitlan to meet with the Aztec emperor.
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The astronomer Nicholas Copernicus publises a book which saya that the Earth and other planets revole around the sun. Biologist Andreas Vesalius publishes a first accurate book on human anatomy.
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The destruction of thee Spain's great Armada by Francis Drake and another commander makes England the world's greatest sea power.
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Dutch explorers discover Australia.
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The city of Santa Fe, New Mexico is founded by the Spanish. The French establish the colony of Quebec
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The reason that I chose these events as the most important events of exploration is because they were either milestones or things that helped get to milestones. You can not just expect to explore and conquer the entire world in one simple trip across the sea. If Magellen had never sailed around the world we may still think it was flat, if Columbus had never sailed to the Americas we might have still been living in Europe. These discoveries are what motivate us to do new things like go to space.
