| Name |
Accomplishments |
Important Dates |
| Roald Amundsen (Norwegian) |
First person to reach the South Pole. First person to fly over the North Pole. Commanded first single ship to sail through Northwest Passage. |
Lived from 1872 to 1928. From 1903-1906, he commanded the ship. Reached the South Pole in 1911 and flew over the North Pole in 1926. |
| William Baffin (British) |
Failed to find the Northwest Passage, but discovered the Baffin Bay. |
Lived from 1584 to 1622. |
| Vasco Balboa (Spanish) |
First European to see the Pacific Ocean. |
Born: 1475, Died: 1519 |
| Vitus Berif (Danish) |
Explored extreme northeastern portion of Siberia and sailed through the Bering Strait. He explored for Peter I of Russia. |
Lived from 1691 to 1741. He sailed through the Bering Strait in 1728. |
| Richard Evelyn Byrd (American) |
He and Floyd Bennett became the first people to fly over the North Pole. He made five expeditions to Antarctica. |
Lived from 1888 to 1957. Flew over the North Pole in 1926. |
| Pedro Cabral (Portugese) |
On an expedition planned for Italy, he sailed off course and ended up in Brazil. He claimed it for Portugal. |
Lived from 1467-1520. Landed in Brazil in 1500. |
| Kit Carson (American) |
Worked as a guide, including John Fremont's expeditions. HE served as a Union general in the Civil War. |
Lived from 1809 to 1868. He worked as a guide in the 1840s. |
| Jacques Cartier (French) |
Explored Canada and is credited for the discovery of the Saint Lawrence River and Prince Edward Island. |
Lived from 1491 to 1557. |
| Samuel Champlain (French) |
His claims were the main basis for French claims in North America. HE discovered Lake Champlain. |
Lived from 1567 to 1635. His claims began in 1605 and he discovered Lake Champlain in 1609. |
| Christopher Columbus (European) |
Explorations backed by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Reached Cuba and Hispaniola, discovering America. Sailed to Puerto Rico and established a colony in Hispaniola. Explored Venezuala and reached Central America. |
Lived from 1451 to 1506. Credited for discovering America in 1492. Sailed to Puerto Rico and established a colony in Hispaniola in 1493. Explored Venezuala in 1498 and reached Central America in 1502. |
| James Cook (English) |
Explored coasts of Australia, New Zealand, and rediscovered the Sandwich Islands. Killed by natives on the Hawaiian islands. |
Lived from 1728 to 1779. Set out in his ship in 1768 to explore coasts and rediscovered islands in 1776. |
| Francisco Coronado (Spanish) |
First European to explore New Mexico and Arizona while searching for the Seven Cities of Cibola. |
Lived from 1510 to 1554. |
| Hernando De Soto )Spanish) |
Explored Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. His group was the first group of Europeans to see the Mississippi River. |
Lived from 1500 to 1542. Saw Mississippi River in 1541. |
| John Charles Fremont (American) |
Called the "Pathfinder". He explored the West and created great interest in the area. Leader of revolt of California against Mexico. Served California as a US Senator. Unsuccessful candidate for President for the Republican party. |
Lived from 1813 to 1890. Explored the West in the 1840s. Leader of 1846 revolt of California against Mexico. Served as a US Senator from 1850 to 1851. Ran for President in 1856. |
| Thor Heyerdahl (Norwegian) |
EXpeditions on primitive crafts including the Kon Tiki, Ra, and Tigris expeditions. |
Born in 1914. |
| Sir Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) |
Mountain climber. He and Tenzing Norkay, his companion, were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. |
Born in 1919. Climbed Mt. Everest to the summit in 1953. |
| Henry Hudson (English) |
Sailing for the Dutch East India Company. Explored to the Hudson River while he searched for the Northwest Passage. Reached the Hudson Bay but was abandoned later by a mutinous crew. |
Died in 1611. Explored the Hudson River in 1609 and reached the Hudson Bay in 1610. |
| Louis Jolliet (French) |
Discovered upper Mississippi River with Jacques Marquette. |
Lived from 1645 to 1700. Discovered upper Mississippi River with Marquette in 1673. |
| Robert La Salle (French) |
La Salle and his assistant Henri de Tonti descended Mississippi River to its mouth and claimed the whole valley, naming it Louisiana. |
Lived from 1643 to 1687. Took possession of "Louisiana" in 1682. |
| Meriweather Lewis (American) |
Headed Lewis and Clark expedition and was made governor of the Louisiana Territory. |
Lived from 1774 to 1809. Headed the Lewis and Clark expedition from 1803 to 1806. Made governor of the Louisiana Territory in 1807. |
| David Livingstone (Scottish) |
Medical missionary in what is today Botswana, he crossed the Kalahari Desert and discovered the Zambezi River. Discovered the Victoria FAlls. Was found by H.M. Stanley and the two men set out to Lake Tanganyika. |
Lived from 1813 to 1873. Discovered the Victoria Falls in 1855 and was found by H.M. Stanley in 1871. |
| Jacques Marquette (French) |
JEsuit priest who accompanied Louis Joliet on a trip down the Mississippi River. |
Lived from 1637 to 1675. Accompanied Joliet down the Mississippi River in 1673. |
| Robert Peary (American) |
Artic explorer recognized as the discoverer of the North Pole. |
Lived from 1856 to 1920. |
| Zebulon Pike (American) |
Led an expedition to New Mexico and discovered the Colorado peak that is named after him in the process. |
Lived from 1779 to 1813. Led the expedition to New Mexico in 1806. |
| Juan Ponce de Leon (Spanish) |
Discovered Florida. |
Lived from 1460 to 1521. Discovered Florida in 1513. |
| Sir Henry Stanley (British) |
Sent by the New York Herald to find Livingstone. In later journeys, he explored the Congo River's length and helped organize what later became Zaire. |
Lived from 1841 to 1904. Found Livingstone in 1871. |
HHS Shrek
