221 Great Explorers of the World

Bartolomeu Dias was born in about 1450, Portugal and he died on 29th May 1500 (aged 50 years) at sea near the Cape Town, South Africa. The first European mariner to go round the southernmost tip of Africa around the Cape of Good Hope to enter the Indian Ocean, Bartolomeu opened the sea route to […]

Leif Eriksson was the son of Erik the Red and born in about 970 in Iceland and he died somewhere in 1020 (50 years) in Greenland. Said to have been the first person ever to have discovered North America when his ship was blown off course Leif Eriksson sighted land on the other side of

Reinhold Messner was born on 17th September 1944  in Brixen, Italy and he still lives there today. An Italian mountaineer, adventurer, explorer and author Reinhold Messner is the first to climb all the 14 independent mountains on the Earth that are more than 8,000 metres high. He has climbed Mount Everest without bottled oxygen, crossed

A Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto was born on 27th October 1495 in Spain and he died on 21st May 1542 (aged 47 years) in Ferriday, United States. Credited with discovering the Mississippi River Hernando also explored the parts of the nine states in the United States. In 1514, he assisted in the

Juan Ponce de Leon was born in 8 April 1460 in Santervas De Campos, Spain and he died in July 1521 (aged 61 years) in Havana, Cuba. Juan was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. Sailing to the New World Juan  became the governor over a section of land which made him rich. In 1506, he

Zheng He was born in 1371 in the Yunnan Province, China, and he died in 1433 (aged 62 years). A great Chinese explorer and fleet commander Zheng He went on seven voyages to establish Chinese trade in new areas. Travelling all the way to Calicut, India, he made trading and diplomatic ties with about 25

Samuel de Champlain was born 13th August 1574 in Brouage, France, and he died on 25th December 1635 (aged 61 years) in Quebec, Canada. An explorer and cartographer who is considered the founder of the Canadian city of Quebec, Samuel helped colonize French North America. Sailing to Canada he became the first European to explore

Sir Francis Drake was born in 1540-1544 in Tavistock, England, and he died on 27th January 1596 in Portobelo, Panama. An explorer and a privateer Francis Drake was the first Englishman and second European to sail around the world. On his first voyage to Africa he captured people and sold them as slaves. He became

Jacques Cousteau was born on 11th June 1910 in France and he died on 25th June 1997 (aged 87 years) in Paris. A French naval officer, explorer, oceanographer, film maker and researcher Jacques Cousteau pioneered Marine Conservation, helped restrict commercial whaling and organized campaigns against the dumping of nuclear waste in the oceans as well

Henry Hudson was born somewhere in 1565-70, in England, and he died on 22nd June 1611 near Hudson Bay, Canada (North America). The Hudson river and the North Atlantic Oceans were explored and mapped by him when he landed in Maine on his third voyage. This voyage was sponsored by the Dutch. His next voyage

Sacagawea was born in May 1788 in the Shoshone tribe, United States, and she died on 20th December 1812 (aged 24 years). As the interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark Expedition Sacagawea travelled with them through the entire journey to explore Louisiana with her infant tied to her back. Her aide to the expedition

Daniel Boone was born on 22nd October 1734 in Pennsylvania and he died on 26th September 1820 (aged 86 years) in Missouri. One of America’s first folk heroes Daniel Boone was an expert hunter, marksman and tracker. He made an expedition to the Appalachian Mountains where he started a settlement called Boonesborough and they were

Jacques Cartier was born on 31st December 1491 in the Duchy of Brittany and he died on 1st September 1557 (aged 66 years) in Saint Malo, France. The first European to travel inland in North America and to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and shores of the Saint Lawrence River which he

John Cabot was born 1450 in Genoa, Italy and he died  around 1498-1501. Sailing to Canada thinking it was Asia John Cabot claimed it for Henry VII of England. Also claimed for England the east coast of North America somewhere near Labrador or New foundland in the modern day Canada. The plan had been to

Captain James Cook was born on 7 November 1728 in Marton, England, and he was killed by Hawaiin natives on 14th February 1779 (aged 50-51 years). A British navigator and cartographer who mapped much of South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, James Cook set off on his first voyage on 26th August 1768 to observe