-
Born in Rouen, France to wealthy merchants
-
Becomes a novice in the society of Jesuits and gives up his fortune at 15 years of age.
-
Launches his first exploration in hopes of finding the Ohio River.
-
Goes to what is now Louisiana and named it, La Louisiane, after the king. Over the next three years, he builds ships to navigate the upper Great Lakes and establishes trading posts from Niagra to Illinois.
-
He reaches the Mississippi, explores it to its mouth, and claims for France all the lands drained by it.
-
He leaves with around 300 people aboard 4 ships.
-
Arrives off of Texas Coast, landing in Matagorda Bay.
-
He selects a permanent location for the colony on the banks of a stream he calls the River of the Bison.
-
He was killed to death by 2 of his own men Pierre Duhaut and L'Archeveque.