Journal of Exploration

Who’s Who List of Famous Explorers
Names of Famous Explorers Nationality of Famous Explorers Lifespan of Famous Explorers Famous Voyage of Exploration
Sir Francis Drake English 1540 – 1597 Circumnavigates the World
Sir Walter Raleigh English 1552 – 1618 The  Discovery of Guiana and establishing the Virginia colony of Roanoke Island in 1584
Marco Polo Italian 1254 – 1324 Exploration of China and Asia
Ferdinand Magellan Portuguese 1480 – 1521 First voyage around the World by this famous explorer
Christopher Columbus Italian / Spanish 1451 – 1506 Discovery of the New World by this famous explorer
Francisco Pizarro Spanish 1478 – 1541 Famous Explorer who conquered the Incas of Peru
Amerigo Vespucci Italian / Spanish 1454 – 1512 America was named after this famous explorer
Vasco Nunez de Balboa Spanish 1475 – 1519

First famous European explorer to see the Pacific Ocean from its eastern shore

Vasco da Gama Portuguese 1469 – 1524 Discovery of an ocean route from Portugal to the East by this famous explorer
Sir Humphrey Gilbert English 1539 – 1583 This famous explorer established St Johns, Newfoundland
Juan Ponce de Leon Spanish 1460 – 1521 First European explorer to set foot in Florida
Sir Richard Grenville English 1542 – 1591 Voyages to Virginia and Roanoke Island and the Azores by this famous explorer
Sir John Hawkins English 1532 – 1595 Voyages to West Africa and South America by this famous explorer
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado Spanish 1510 – 1554

First European to explore the Southwest of North America in Arizona and New Mexico

Sir Martin Frobisher English 1535 – 1594 Voyages to Labrador and Greenland
Hernando De Soto Spanish 1500 – 1542 First European to explore Florida and South East America
Sir Richard Hawkins English 1562 – 1622 Voyages to South America by this famous explorer
Hernando Cortes Spanish 1485 – 1547 Spanish conqueror of Mexico and the Aztec Empire
Bartolomeu Dias Portuguese 1457 – 1500

The first European explorer to lead a 1487 voyage around the Cape of Good Hope on the Southern most tip of South Africa

Pedro Alvares Cabral Portuguese 1467 – 1520 The first European explorer to see Brazil in 1500
Giovanni da Verrazzano Italian / French 1485 – 1528

Famous explorer from Italy who explored the NE coast of North America from Cape Fear, North Carolina to Maine

Gaspar Corte Real Portuguese 1450 – 1501 Exploration of Greenland and the coast of Newfoundland by this famous explorer
John Cabot Italian / English 1450 – 1499

Exploring the coastline of Canada the subsequent colonization of Canada. Cabot was the second famous explorer to find North America (after Christopher Columbus)

Sebastian Cabot Italian / English 1474 – 1557

Son of the famous explorer John Cabot. Searching for the Northwest passage across North America, attempting to circumnavigate the world and making expeditions to Russia

Jacques Cartier French 1491 – 1557 Led three expeditions of exploration to Canada by this famous explorer
Henry Hudson English 1565 – 1611 The discovery of the  Hudson River by this famous explorer
Jacques Marquette French 1637 – 1675 Discovering the Mississippi River with famous Canadian explorer Louis Joliet
Samuel de Champlain French 1567 – 1635 Famous explorer and founder of Quebec City. Known as ‘The Father of Canada’
Pedro Alvares Cabral Portuguese 1467 – 1520 Famous Portuguese explorer was the first  to see Brazil in 1500
Cabeza de Vaca Spanish 1490 – 1557 The first European to explore Texas and Southwest America
Estevanico North African 1500 – 1539 Exploring Texas and Southwest America and heralded as having been “the first black man in North America.”
Panfilo de Narvaez Spanish 1470 – 1528 The exploration of Cuba leading an ill fated expedition to Florida and North America by this famous explorer
Fray Marcos de Niza Italian / Spanish 1495 – 1558 Discovering the Pueblo tribe called the Zuni indians. Duped into believing the myth of the “Seven Golden Cities of Cibola”
Alonso Alvarez de Pineda Spanish 1494 – 1519 Believed to be the first European in Texas and proved that Florida was not an island
Juan de Onate Spanish 1550 – 1630 Famous for establishing the colony of New Mexico for Spain
Lucas Vazquez de Ayllon Spanish 1475 – 1526 Famous explorer and colonizer of South Carolina and discoverer of Chesapeake Bay
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Spanish 1499 – 1543 First European explorer to navigate the coast of present day California in the United States
Louis Joliet Canadian 1645 – 1700 Famous for exploring the Great Lakes area and discovering the Mississippi River
Names of Famous Explorers Nationality of Famous Explorers Lifespan of Famous Explorers Famous Voyage of Exploration
Who’s Who List of Famous Explorers

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