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| Explorations and
Discoveries by Sea |
 James Cook
was the first European to land on New Zealand,
the first ship commander to
prevent an outbreak of scurvy during an extended
voyage, sailed further south than any previous
navigator, and "discovered" the
Hawaiian Islands. |
 Bartolomeu Dias
led the first expedition to round the southern
tip of Africa by sea in 1487. In 1500 he was part
of a sea expedition that inadvertently discovered
and named Brazil. |
 Vasco da Gama
commanded the first expedition to reach India by
sea from Europe, in 1498. |
 Henry the Navigator
Prince Henry of Portugal sponsored numerous
voyages along the western coast of Africa. One of
those voyages became the first ever to sail
beyond Cape Bojador, and another the first to
sail up the Gambia River. |
 John
Ledyard wrote the first great travel
story by an American to be published in the
United States. In 1786-1788 he walked alone from
Germany to eastern Siberia. He died soon after
getting permission to undertake an expedition to
explore the source of the Niger River in Africa. |
 Ferdinand Magellan
led the expedition that ultimately became the
first to sail completely around the world, but
did not live to see the achievement accomplished. |
