The First Fleet, consisting of 11 ships led by Captain Arthur Philip, departed from Portsmouth, England on May 13th, 1787 and arrived in Sydney Cove, Australia on January 26th, 1788 after stops in the Canary Islands, Rio de Janeiro, and Cape of Good Hope. The fleet carried over 800 convicts, marines, and crew to establish a British penal colony in New South Wales. The arrival of the First Fleet was a pivotal event as it resulted in the establishment of the first European settlement in Australia.