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Jan 1, 1460
Prince Henry
He was the third son of King john I, of Portugal. Prince Henry lived from 1394 to 1460. He sent many explorers on expeditions but would never go on them himself. He sent them on the expeditions so that they could make maps of the oceans and land. The maps were used to defeat the muslims, and spread Christianity More Info -
Jan 1, 1500
Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias was a Portuguese navigator and explorer. He lived from 1457 to 1500. He led an expedition around Africas' Cape of Good Hope, which he earlier named it, Cape of Storms, but was later renamed. Dias died on an expedition in 1500. More Info -
Jan 1, 1506
Christopher Columbus
Columbus was an Italian explorer, who sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. He lived from 1451 to 1506. Columbus went on four trips to the Carabian from 1492 to 1504. He explored for King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Spain. More Info -
Jan 1, 1512
Amerigo Vespucci
He was an Italian explorer who first realized that the Americas were separate from Asia. America was named after him. Vespucci was the first person to print a map of the Americas, with the name America used. [More Info](http://<a href='http://www.enchantedlearning.com/explorers/1500a.shtml)' >More Info</a> -
Jan 1, 1519
Vasco Nunez de Balboa
He lived from 1475 to 1519. He was a Spanish conquistador and explorer. He searched for treasure along the northern coast of South America, and in the Gulf of Uraba, with Rodrigo de Bastidas. Balboa was wrongly acused of treason against Spain, but was found guilty anyways. He was publicly beheaded in january 1519. More Info -
Jan 1, 1521
Ferdinand Magellan
He was born in Northern Portugal. Magellan lived from 1480 to 1521. He gave the Pacific Ocean it name. He was the first explorer to lead an expedition around the world. More Info -
Jul 1, 1521
Juan Ponce de Leon
He was a Spanish explorer and a soldier who was the first European to set foot in Florida. He was born in the 1460's and dies in 1521. He sailed on Cristopher Columbus' second expedition, but did not return with him. His last expedition was to try to conquer Florida, but Native American tribes wounded him and a lot of his soldiers, he later died in Cuba. More Info -
Jan 1, 1524
Vasco de Gama
He was a Portuguese explorer who discovered an ocean route from Portugal to the East. He lived from 1460 to 1524. De Gama was exploring for King Manuel I of Portugal, but after his death, King John III sent him to india as the king's representative. He later died in India in 1524. More Info -
Jan 1, 1541
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador. He discovered an Incan Empire, which he brutaly conquered. He lived from 1478 to 1541. After taking the valuables from the Incan Empire, he and his troops destroyed the empire, and found the "City of the Kings" (Lima Peru). More Info -
Jan 1, 1547
Hernan Cortes
Cortes was a Spanish adventurer, who overthough the Aztec Empire from 1519 to 1521. He lived from 1485 to 1547. Cortes sailed with 11 ships to the Yucatan Peninsula in search of treasure. He later returned to Spain, where he died. More Info
