
What are the names of famous explorers?
- Roald Amundsen
- Neil Armstrong
- Ibn Battuta
- Nellie Bly
- Daniel Boone
- Christopher Columbus
- Captain James Cook
- Hernan Cortes
- Vasco da Gama
- Sir Francis Drake
Who were early explorers?
Who were the leaders in early exploration? Portugal and Spain became the early leaders in the Age of Exploration. Through the Treaty of Tordesillas the two countries agreed to divide up the New World. Spain got most of the Americas while Portugal got Brazil, India, and Asia. Who were the Renaissance explorers? In The Renaissance ]
What are all the explorers names?
Trailblazers, Navigators and Pioneers
- Christopher Columbus. Genoese navigator Christopher Columbus was the greatest of the New World explorers, not only for his accomplishments but for his tenacity and longevity.
- Ferdinand Magellan. In 1519, the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan set sail under a Spanish flag with five ships.
- Juan Sebastian Elcano. ...
- Vasco Nunez de Balboa. ...
Who were the explorers in the age of exploration?
What inventions did the First Nations make?
- Corn.
- Rubber.
- Kayaks.
- Snow Goggles.
- Cable Suspension Bridges.
- Raised-Bed Agriculture.
- Baby Bottles.
- Anesthetics and Topical Pain Relievers.

Who was the earliest explorers?
Leif Erikson was a famous Norse explorer who is credited for being the first European to set foot on American soil (c. 1000). Marco Polo was an Italian explorer who traveled to the Far East and back to his hometown Venice in the matter of 24 years. He is noted for making detailed chronicles of his travels (1271–95).
What are 3 early explorers?
Here are 15 of the most famous explorers during the Age of Exploration, before and after.Marco Polo (1254-1324) ... Zheng He (c. ... Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) ... Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) ... Vasco da Gama (c. ... John Cabot (c. ... Pedro Álvares Cabral (c. ... Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512)More items...
What are early explorers?
They were looking for land, gold and goods for trade. Leif Erikson, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake are a few famous explorers who made great discoveries during this time.
Who was the earliest European explorer?
The first known European explorers to arrive on the continent, Vikings from Scandinavia led by Leif Eriksson (c. 970–1020), appeared around 1000 C.E. and established a temporary settlement in the present-day Canadian province of Newfoundland.
What were the 4 explorers?
The four explorers, Francisco Coronado, Robert LaSalle, Samuel de Champlain, and John Cabot, represent the three major European nations that decidedly settled in what is now the United States.
Who were the first explorers in America?
Five hundred years before Columbus, a daring band of Vikings led by Leif Eriksson set foot in North America and established a settlement. And long before that, some scholars say, the Americas seem to have been visited by seafaring travelers from China, and possibly by visitors from Africa and even Ice Age Europe.
Where did early explorers come from?
Portugal and Spain Portugal and Spain became the early leaders in the Age of Exploration. Through the Treaty of Tordesillas the two countries agreed to divide up the New World. Spain got most of the Americas while Portugal got Brazil, India, and Asia.
Who were the first Europeans?
The first Europeans came from Africa via the Middle East and settled there about 43,000 years ago. But some of those pioneers, such as a 40,000-year-old individual from Romania, have little connection to today's Europeans, Reich says. His team studied DNA from 51 Europeans and Asians who lived 7000 to 45,000 years ago.
Where did the early explorers explore?
In the 15th century, Europeans began to sail west across the Atlantic Ocean in search of new routes to China and the East, but in the process they discovered an entirely New World: North and South America, plus many other lands.
Did Vikings discover America first?
Half a millennium before Columbus “discovered” America, those Viking feet may have been the first European ones to ever have touched North American soil. Exploration was a family business for the expedition's leader, Leif Eriksson (variations of his last name include Erickson, Ericson, Erikson, Ericsson and Eiriksson).
Did Vikings reach America?
Vikings had a settlement in North America exactly one thousand years ago, centuries before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas, a study says. Scientists say a new dating technique analysing tree rings has provided evidence that Vikings occupied a site in Newfoundland, Canada, in 1021AD.
Who were the first explorers to land on the North American continent and the first one to land on the neighboring islands?
The first Europeans to land on the mainland of North America were the Viking explorer Leif Eriksson and his party.
Who were the early explorers?
Their lack of a written language prevents our knowing the names of the men and women who pushed into the edge of the South Pacific as early as 32,000 BCE and settled most of it between 200 BCE and 1000 CE. Finding the tiny, remote islands of the Pacific was an amazing feat.
When did the explorers travel to India?
The traders that followed the explorers eventually were displaced by Egyptians under the Ptolemies, starting with two voyages to India around 120 BCE by the explorer Eudoxus of Cyzicus.
What was Pytheas' purpose in his voyage?
Not only did Pytheas travel about as far as Columbus did during his first voyage, but he returned with careful reports on all he had seen and with excellent navigational data. The primary purpose of the trip was probably to locate the source of tin , which he found in Cornwall , but Pytheas had scientific goals in mind as well. Yet few at the time believed his accounts of frozen seas and other wonders.
Which way did Necho travel?
Herodotus also tells of an early Persian expedition intended to circle Africa counterclockwise sometime between 485 and 464 BCE. These explorers traveled some way down the west coast of Africa before turning back.
Did the Chinese explore the Americas?
According to a legend dating from at least the sixth century CE, a Chinese junk captained by Xi and He around 2640 BCE sailed east from Japan for thousands of miles and found a continent. If true, it could only have been one of the Americas. One account has them traveling via the Bering Sea and penetrating as far south as Guatemala, while others have them reaching the Pacific Northwest and the coast of Ecuador. The best proof that something of this nature could occur are well-authenticated accounts of Japanese boats blown off course and landing in the Americas in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Who explored the world before Columbus?
Man explored the world long before the days of Columbus and Magellan. Even in the earliest moments of human history, when the known world was little more than what extended within sight, there were men who were sent out to explore the unknown. When the first explorers set out into unknown parts of the world, they had no way ...
Who was the first person to sail in Africa?
Around the sixth or fifth century B.C., a Carthaginian called Hanno the Navigator set out with 30,000 people in 76 ships and sailed along the western coast of Africa. It is believed that he made it as far as modern Ghana—at the time, the furthest anyone had gone into the continent.
Why did Himilco tell the Greeks there were killer sea monsters?
When he came home, he told the Greeks there were killer sea monsters to keep them from exploring Britain for themselves.
Where did Hanno and Himilco travel?
While Hanno went south, down Africa, another Carthaginian, Himilco, traveled north, along the coastline of Europe and all the way up to modern England.
What did the ancient people think when they came home?
To the people of the ancient world, though, the idea of a southern hemisphere was incomprehensible. They thought the men were delusional.
How long did it take to circumnavigate the continent?
These were the first people in all of history to circumnavigate the continent. The trip took more than two years to complete. Every autumn, the men would dock their ship wherever they were and set up farms to survive through the winter. Then, in the spring, they would head back aboard their ship and sail off again.
Where did Zhang Qian explore?
Zhang Qian made it into part of Mesopotamia, exploring parts of Parthian Persia and the Seleucid Empire that were tightly connected to the European powers. He came back with some of the first descriptions the Chinese ever heard of these places.
Who was the first European explorer to circumnavigate the globe?
Ferdinand Magellan. While in the service of Spain, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan led the first European voyage of discovery to circumnavigate the globe. As a boy, Magellan studied mapmaking and navigation. In 1505, when Magellan was in his mid-20s, he joined a Portuguese fleet that was sailing to East Africa.
What did Europeans search for when they first began sailing across the Atlantic Ocean?
When Europeans first began sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, they were searching for new routes to China and the East, but what they found was more than they imagined: the New World.
What did Magellan study?
As a boy, Magellan studied mapmaking and navigation. In 1505, when Magellan was in his mid-20s, he joined a Portuguese fleet that was sailing to East Africa. By 1509, he found himself at the Battle of Diu, in which the Portuguese destroyed Egyptian ships in the Arabian Sea.
What was the purpose of the Drake expedition?
In 1577, Drake was chosen as the leader of an expedition intended to pass around South America, through the Strait of Magellan, and explore the coast that lay beyond. Drake successfully completed the journey and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I upon his triumphant return in 1580. In 1588, Drake saw action in the English defeat of the Spanish Armada, though he died in 1596 from dysentery after undertaking an unsuccessful raiding mission.
What was the name of the ship that sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in 1492?
In 1492, he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain in the Santa Maria, with the Pinta and the Niña ships alongside, hoping to find a new route to India.
Where did Magellan's fleet reach?
In March 1521, Magellan’s fleet reached Homonhom Island on the edge of the Philippines with less than 150 of the 270 men who started the expedition. Magellan traded with Rajah Humabon, the island king, and a bond was quickly formed.
Where did Christopher Columbus go?
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator. Columbus first went to sea as a teenager, participating in several trading voyages in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas. One such voyage, to the island of Khios, in modern-day Greece, brought him the closest he would ever come to Asia.
Who were the explorers?
Explorers. From the Age of Exploration to the modern era, conquistadors, sailors and other explore rs have expanded the limits of human knowledge. Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo, Amelia Earhart, Henry Hudson, Sacagawea and countless others charted brave new courses into unknown lands seeking wealth, power and adventure. Person.
Who was the first European to reach North America?
Norse explorer Leif Eriksson is credited with being the first European to reach North America.
Which British explorer made a claim to land in Canada, mistaking it for Asia, during his 1497 voyage?
Explorer John Cabot made a British claim to land in Canada, mistaking it for Asia, during his 1497 voyage on the ship Matthew.
Where did Erik the Red settle?
Erik the Red is remembered in medieval and Icelandic sagas as having founded the first continuous settlement in Greenland.
Who was America named after?
America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine navigator and explorer who played a prominent role in exploring the New World.
Who was the British navigator who discovered the Great Barrier Reef?
British navigator James Cook charted New Zealand and Australia's Great Barrier Reef on his ship HMB Endeavour and later disproved the existence of the fabled southern continent Terra Australis.
Who was Samuel de Champlain?
Samuel de Champlain. Samuel de Champlain was a French explorer and cartographer best known for establishing and governing the settlements of New France and the city of Quebec. (d. 1635) Person.
Who was the most famous explorer of the time?
Here are 15 of the most celebrated – and notorious – explorers during the Age of Exploration, before and after. 1. Marco Polo (1254-1324) A Venetian merchant and adventurer, Marco Polo travelled along the Silk Road from Europe to Asia between 1271 and 1295.
Who was the first European to explore China?
Polo was not the first European to reach China, but his travelogue inspired many explorers – among them, Christopher Columbus. His writings also had a significant influence on European cartography, ultimately leading to the Age of Discovery a century later. 2.
Why did Magellan have more credit than Elcano?
This was in part because Portugal wanted to recognise a Portuguese explorer, and because of Spanish fears of Basque nationalism. 11.
How many voyages did Christopher Columbus make?
Often called the “discoverer” of the New World, Christopher Columbus embarked on 4 voyages across the Atlantic Ocean between 1492 and 1504. Under the sponsorship of Ferdinand II and Isabella I of Spain, he had originally set sail hoping to find a westward route to the Far East.
What was Columbus' first voyage?
Columbus’ voyages were the first European expeditions to the Caribbean, Central America and South America , and opened the way for the European exploration and permanent colonisation of the Americas. Sean Cunningham, Head of Medieval Records at the National Archives, answers key questions about Henry VII.
How many ships did Admiral Zheng have?
Commanding the world’s mightiest fleet of 300 ships and as many as 30,000 troops, Admiral Zheng made 7 epic voyages to southeast Asia, south Asia, the Middle East and Africa between 1405 and 1433.
What island did the Italian navigator find himself on?
Instead, the Italian navigator found himself on an island that later became known as the Bahamas. Believing he had reached the Indies, he dubbed the natives there “Indians”.
Who was the first explorer?
Vasco da Gama, the first famous explorer of world history on this list!
Who is the best known explorer?
Columbus is one of the best-known world explorers from history.
What was the first voyage of Gama?
In 1497, the Portuguese king commissioned him to chart an invaluable trading route to the East for the very first time. And that he did. On a mammoth voyage, da Gama and his crew sailed down the coast of Africa and out into the Atlantic, before swinging back down and around to pass the Cape of Good Hope.
What was Marco Polo's homeward journey called?
Polo’s travels, and the book he went on to write about them (literally called ‘The Travels of Marco Polo’ ) made him famous around Europe.
Which two countries were the conquistadors?
Take the famed conquistadors of 16th Century Spain and Portugal. These armour-clad individuals were explorers of the highest calibre! They crossed the Atlantic to the New World guided by nothing but sheer audacity and their incredible cartography skills.
Who was Robert Peary?
Robert Peary was one of the great explorers of the world to travel to the Arctic.
Where did Polo travel?
Polo’s travels took him all the way, overland, from Venice to the great Mongol Kingdom of Genghis Kahn’s grandson, Kublai Kahn (another man with an outrageously impressive life story), and, eventually- after 23 years and endless adventures around Asia- back again.
Who was the first European to explore the Great Plains?
Hudson's Bay Company explorer Henry Kelsey has the distinction of being the first European to see the northern Great Plains in 1690.
Who was the first European to explore the Atlantic coast of North America?
Ponce de León was struck by an arrow and died of his wounds. In 1524, Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano sailed for King Francis I of France and is known as the first European since the Norse to explore the Atlantic coast of North America.
What was America named after?
It was soon understood that Columbus had not reached Asia, but rather found what was to Europeans a New World, which in 1507 was named "America", probably after Amerigo Vespucci, on the Waldseemüller map .
What did Christopher Columbus discover?
Columbus rediscovered and explored much of the Lesser Antilles in his second voyage then discovered both Trinidad and Tobago on his third voyage whilst skirting the northern South American coast. His fourth voyage was spent scanning the Central American coast. The Voyages of Christopher Columbus opened the New World.
What was the purpose of Christopher Columbus' exploration of North America?
The exploration of North America by non-indigenous people was a continuing effort to map and explore the continent and advance the economic interests of said non-indigenous peoples of North America. It spanned centuries, and consisted of efforts by numerous people ...
Who explored the Southwest of North America?
There were numerous Spanish explorers and conquistadors who explored the Southwest of North America (including present-day west and central United States) and cross the continent (east to west) in its southern regions, mainly from the second quarter to the middle of the 16th century, such as Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, but also the North American Southeast and south-central regions. While Spain's Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo laid claim to the Pacific Coast of California in the mid 1500s, the earliest land expedition by the Portolà expedition two hundred years later established Catholic missions from Spanish-controlled Baja California northward.
Who was the first person to discover North America?
Italian navigator and explorer Giovanni Caboto (known in English as John Cabot) is credited with the discovery of continental North America on June 24, 1497, under the commission of Henry VII of England.
Phoenician Merchants
Circumnavigating Africa
- According to Herodotus, Pharaoh Necho sent an expedition from the Red Sea around 600 BCE that circumnavigated Africa clockwise over a period of three years. Few believe this, although Necho’s ships probably did travel far down the east coast of Africa. Herodotus also tells of an early Persian expedition intended to circle Africa counterclockwise sometime between 485 and …
Carthage in Control of Gibraltar
- About the same time as the second African expedition recorded by Herodotus, there was a Carthaginian effort to set up colonies, described by its commander, King Hanno. From his descriptions of the places encountered, it is apparent that he reached at least what is now Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa, but perhaps traveled as far as Cameroon. The Carthaginian c…
Greatest Recorded Voyage of Exploration of Ancient Times
- But one daring sailor made it past the strait, probably about 310 BCE. From there Pytheas of Marseilles completed the greatest recorded voyage of exploration of ancient times, circumnavigating Great Britain and reaching Norway (or possibly Iceland). Not only did Pytheas travel about as far as Columbus did during his first voyage, but he returned with careful reports …
Explorers Along The Coast of Western Asia
- Explorers also traveled along the coast of western Asia, but their names have been lost. These routes were pioneered by Indian and Arab navigators perhaps as early as 3000 BCE. The traders that followed the explorers eventually were displaced by Egyptians under the Ptolemies, starting with two voyages to India around 120 BCE by the explorer Eudoxus of Cyzicus.
Trade Between Rome and The East
- By the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus (27 BCE to 14 CE), there was regular trade between Rome and India, with hundreds of ships setting out from the Red Sea each year, many of them reaching India’s Malabar coast and returning. Gradually the shipping routes were extended, with the farthest known extension being a trip (recorded by the Chinese) of a merchant to Vietnam in …
The Polynesians
- Among the most amazing early explorers were the Polynesians. Their lack of a written language prevents our knowing the names of the men and women who pushed into the edge of the South Pacific as early as 32,000 BCE and settled most of it between 200 BCE and 1000 CE. Finding the tiny, remote islands of the Pacific was an amazing feat.
The Chinese Explorers
- The Chinese also explored many islands, but their islands were larger and closer together –– Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines. There is little evidence to support the most amazing claim of the Chinese, however. According to a legend dating from at least the sixth century CE, a Chinese junk captained by Xi and He around 2640 BCE sailed east from Japan for thousands of miles and fou…