221 Great Explorers of the World

Frederick Albert Cook was born on 10th June 1865 in Callicoon, New York, United States, and he died on 5th August 1940 (aged 74 years) in New Rochelle, New York, United States. An American explorer, physician and ethnographer, Frederick became famous when he claimed to have reached the North Pole which gave rise to a […]

Captain George Comer was born in April 1858 in Quebec, Canada, and he died in 1937 (aged 79 years) in East Haddam, Connecticut, USA. A well-known whaling captain and an authority on Hudson Bay Inuit, George was also a Polar explorer, cartographer, author and photographer. He made 14 Arctic and 3 Antarctic voyages during his

Frank Cole was born in 1954 in Saskatchewan, Canada, and he died in 2000 (aged 46 years) in Mali, West Africa. Frank was a Canadian film-maker and a surfer. He is famous for being the first North American to cross the Sahara desert alone on a camel’s back from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red

Nicolau Coelho was born about 1460 in Portugal and he died in 1502 in Mozambique. Nicolau was a Portuguese navigator and explorer who participated in the voyage of the discovery of the route to India with Vasco da Gama. He was commanding the ship ‘Berrio’ which was the first to return. It was his ship

Bain Hugh Clapperton was born on 18th May 1788 in Annan, Scotland, United Kingdom, and he died on 13th April 1827 (aged 39 years) in Sokoto, Nigeria. A Scottish naval officer, Hugh was the first European who went to West Africa giving the first account of the area now known as northern Nigeria. He also

Boris Grigoryevich Chukhnovsky was born on 28 April 1898 in Saint Petersburg, Soviet Union, and he died on 30th September 1975 (aged 77 years). A pilot and Arctic explorer, Boris was one of the pioneers of Soviet Arctic aviation. He flew many flights in the Arctic region taking the aerial pictures of Novaya Zemlya. He

Fletcher Christian was born on 25th September 1764 in Eaglesfield, Cumbria, United Kingdom and he died on 20th September 1793 (aged 29 years) on the Pitcairn Islands. Fletcher was a sailor by profession. After a career in the Royal Navy he was sailing with William Bligh on a 2-year voyage from Tahiti to the West

Vasily Yakovlevich Chichagov was born on 28th February 1726 in the Russian Empire and he died on 4th April 1809 (aged 83 years) in Saint Petersburg in Russia. A Russian Navy Admiral and explorer, Vasily was in charge of the expedition to find the Northwest Passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans along the Siberian

Aleksei Ilyich Chirikov was born on 24 December 1703 in the Russian Empire and he died on November 1748 (aged 45 years) in Moscow, Russia. A Russian explorer Aleksei who along with Vitus Bering was the first Russian to reach the North-west coast of North America. He was the second-in-command on the Kamchatka expeditions where

Otto Yulyevich Schmidt was born on 30th September 1891 in Mogilev, Belarus, and he died on 7th September 1956 (aged 65 years) in Mozzhinka, Russia. Otto Yulyevich Schmidt was a mathematician, scientist, astronomer and Arctic explorer. He led expeditions to the Arctic in which he established the first scientific research station and explored the Kara

Jean Baptiste Chardin was born on 16th November 1643 in Paris, France, and he died on 5th January 1713 (aged 69 years) in Chiswick, London, United Kingdom. A French jeweller and traveller, Jean Chardin wrote a 10-volume book on Persia where he lived for four years and learnt the language, customs and traditions. He made

John Lloyd Stephens was born on 28th November 1805, New Jersey, United States, and he died on 13th October 1852 (aged 47 years) in New York, US. An American diplomat and writer, John is best known for the rediscovery of the Mayan civilization and the planning of the Panama railroad. He visited many archaeological sites

Thomas Cavendish was born on 19th September 1560 in the Trimley Saint Martin, United Kingdom, and he died in May 1592 (aged 32 years) in the Atlantic Ocean, sailing on the Atlantic Ocean. An English navigator and privateer, Thomas was the leader of the third circumnavigation of the world and discovered Port Desire, now in

Joao de Castro was born on 27th February 1500 in Lisbon, Portugal, and he died on 6th June 1548 (aged 48 years) in Goa, India. Joao was a Portuguese nobleman and naval officer who contributed to the science of navigation. He was also the first person to note that the compass needle deviated due to

Svetlana Yevgenyevna Savitskaya was born on 8th August 1948 in Moscow and she still lives today in Soviet Union, and is now retired. Svetlana was a Russian cosmonaut who had the honour of being the first woman to do a spacewalk and the second woman in space. She flew to space as a part of