1. Sir Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman to sail around the world. 1577 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explores the southwestern United States and discovers the Grand Canyon. 1540 Hernando De Soto explores the southeastern United States 1539 – 1542 Jacques Cartier discovers the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes 1534 Francisco Pizarro defeats the Inca Empire 1533 Hernando Cortez defeats the Aztec Empire. 1521 Ferdinand Magellan and his crew sail around the world. 1519 – 1522 .Vasco Nunez de Balboa discovers the eastern shore of the Pacific Ocean. Juan Ponce de Leon searches for the Fountain of Youth in Florida. 1513 Amerigo Vespucci returns from his explorations of the New World. American continents named after him by German mapmaker. 1502 John Cabot discovers Newfoundland while he searches for the Northwest Passage 1497 Columbus sails to the New World. 1492 Bartholomeu Dias discovers the southern tip of Africa. 1487 Prince Henry the Navigator builds school for sailors. 1450 Marco Polo goes to China. 1271- 1295 Leif Erickson discovers North America. 1002 Eric the Red discovers Greenland 982 Ptolemy creates the first flat map of the world 120 AD Chinese invent the first compass. 1st century AD
2. Explorers to the New World Rene-Robert de La Salle explores the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. 1682 Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet explore the Mississippi River. 1673 Sir Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman to sail around the world. 1577 Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explores the southwestern United States and discovers the Grand Canyon. 1540 Hernando De Soto explores the southeastern United States. 1539 – 1542
3. Explorers Explored Florida looking for the Fountain of Youth Spanish Juan Ponce de Leon 1513 Led expedition across Panama and found the Pacific Ocean Spanish Vasco de Balboa 1513 First to travel to West Indies around Africa Portuguese Vasco Da Gama 1498 Explored the shores of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Labrador Italian John Cabot 1497-1498 Sailed to West Indies and South America Italian Amerigo Vespucci 1497-1503 Made 4 voyages to West Indies and Caribbean Islands Italian Christopher Columbus 1492-1504 First European to round the Cape of Good Hope Portuguese Bartholomeu Dias 1487-1488 Created navigation school in Sagres, Portugal Explored the western African coastline Portuguese Prince Henry 1394-1460 Traveled to the Far East, to what was known then as Cathay or China-Made men want to travel there through his book Italian Marco Polo 1271-1295 First European to reach North American Mainland Norse Leif Ericson Around 1000 Achievement Nationality Explorer Date
4. Traveled to the mouth of the Mississippi River and claimed it for France French Robert LaSalle 1682 Explored Northern Mississippi River French Marquette and Louis Joliet 1672 Explored Hudson Bay, Hudson River, and Hudson Strait English Henry Hudson 1609-1611 Explored eastern coast of North America and the coast of the St. Lawrence River to Lake Huron-Reached Lake Champlain French Samuel de Champlain 1603-1616 First English to sail around the world-Defeated the Spanish Armada- Claimed California for England English Sir Frances Drake 1577-1580 Explored American Southwest Spanish Francisco Vazquez de Coronado 1540-1542 Explored American Southeast-Discovered the Mississippi River Spanish Hernando De Soto 1539-1541 Traveled St. Lawrence River French Jacques Cartier 1534-1542 Conquered Peru Spanish Francisco Pizarro 1523-1535 Searched for a Northwest Passage Italian Giovanni da Verranzano 1523 Conquered Aztecs in Mexico Spanish Hernando Cortez 1519-1521 Commanded first globe circling voyage Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan 1520-1521
