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Sep 5, 1476
John Cabot
In 1476, Cabot officially became a Venetian citizen and began conducting trade in the eastern Mediterranean. Records indicate that he got into financial trouble and left Venice as a debtor in November 1488. -
Dec 31, 1491
Jacques Cartier
Born in Saint-Malo, France on December 31, 1491, Jacques Cartier reportedly explored the Americas, particularly Brazil, before making three major North American voyages. -
Sep 5, 1497
John Cabot
In 1497, Cabot traveled by sea to Canada, where he made a claim to land for England, mistaking the North American land for Asia. -
May 5, 1498
John Cabot
In May 1498, John Cabot departed from Bristol with five ships and a crew of 300 men -
Sep 5, 1504
Hernan Cortes
In 1504, Cortés left Spain to seek his fortune in New World. -
Sep 5, 1508
Ponce De Leon
Hearing persistent reports of gold to be found on nearby Puerto Rico, in 1508 Ponce de León was officially sent by the Spanish crown to explore the island (there are account of him unofficially exploring it up to two years earlier on his own). -
Sep 5, 1511
Hernan Cortes
He joined an expedition of Cuba led by Diego Velázquez in 1511. -
Sep 5, 1518
Hernan Cortes
In 1518, Cortés was to command his own expedition to Mexico, but Velázquez canceled it. -
Sep 5, 1524
Fransico Pizarro
In 1524, Pizarro teamed up with navigator Diego de Almagro and a priest named Fernando de Luque. -
Sep 5, 1528
Francisco Pizarro
In 1528, Pizarro went back to Spain and managed to procure a commission from Emperor Charles V. Pizarro was to conquer the southern territory and establish a new Spanish province there. -
Sep 5, 1532
Fransisco Pizzaro
In 1532, explorer Francisco Pizarro made de Soto second in command on Pizarro’s expedition to explore and conquer Peru. While exploring the country's highlands in 1533, de Soto came upon a road leading to Cuzco, the capital of Peru’s Incan Empire. -
Apr 20, 1534
Jaques Cartier
Cartier sailed on April 20, 1534, with two ships and 61 men, and arrived 20 days later. He explored the west coast of Newfoundland -
Sep 5, 1536
Hernando De Soto
In 1536 de Soto returned to Spain a wealthy man. -
Apr 6, 1538
Hernando De Soto
On April 6, 1538, de Soto and his fleet departed Sanlúcar. On their way to the United States, de Soto and his fleet stopped in Cuba. -
Sep 5, 1540
Fransisco Vasquez
The Vicery of Mexico sent Francisco on an expedition to find the seven cities of gold. -
Sep 5, 1544
Fransisco Vasquez
The Vicery was disappointed in Francisco's failure and so he charged Francisco with neglecting his duty. Francisco was eventually cleared from the charges. -
Henry Hudson
Prior to 1607, Hudson probably worked aboard other ships before being appointed to lead one on his own. Reports also indicate that he was married to a woman named Katherine and they had three sons together. -
Henry Hudson
In 1607, the Muscovy Company, an English firm, entrusted Hudson to find a northern route to Asia. -
Henry Hudson
In 1609, Hudson joined the Dutch East India Company as a commander. He took charge of the Half Moon with the objective of discovering a northern route to Asia by heading north of Russia. -
La Salle
La Salle traveled from France to Quebec, New France (Canada), in late 1667. -
Louis, and Jacques
On May 17, 1673, Marquette, Joliet, and five men on two birchbark canoes set off. Following the northern and western shores of Lake Michigan, they paddled down the Fox River, portaged to the Wisconsin River, and then found themselves on the Mississippi. More than a month into their journey, Marquette and Joliet, leaving their men to guard their canoes, walked unarmed into an Illinois Indian village. -
Louis and Jacques
Marquette returned to the area the next year to proselytize and became ill with dysentery. He died on May 18, 1675, on the shore of the Michigan river that was named for him. His journal of the voyage was published in 1681. -
La Salle
La Salle returned to France in 1677, getting permission form the King to explore the area between Florida, Mexico and New France (Canada). -
La Salle
La Salle returned to France in 1677, getting permission form the King to explore the area between Florida, Mexico and New France (Canada). He returned to Canada in 1678 with his friend, Henri de Tonty, and others.