Famous Explorers

There are many people throughout history who had the spirit of an adventurer and decided
to explore the unknown. In some cases, they risked their lives to make their contributions
recognized by the world. From Columbus discovery of the Americas to Hillarys quest up
Mount Everest, the names of these great pioneers will remain important for centuries to
come as the most famous explorers of all time. Read our list below, which is organized in
order of prominence and importance, to find out more about what these seekers contributed
for the sake of humankind.

Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) Marco Polo (c.1254-1324)

Famous For: First to walk on the moon
1969, the whole world heard these words, Thats one small step
for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Neil Armstrong holds
the distinction of being the first man to walk on the moon.
Before becoming an astronaut with NASA, he was a Naval
Aviator, officer in the US Navy, and a test pilot.
Famous For: Explored Asia and first European to meet Kublai
Khan
The name of Venice native Marco Polo is forever linked to the
world of exploration. In a book entitled The Travels of Marco
Polo, the adventures and journey of the man is detailed. Marco
explored the continent of Asia where he met Kublai Khan.

Vasco da Gama Christopher Columbus

(c.1460/1469-1524)
Famous For: Role in the Age of Discovery
Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama was commander of one of
the sailing ships that ventured into India from Europe. As one of
the pioneers of the Age of Exploration, he became Governor of
India in 1524.
(1451-1506)
Famous For: Discovery and colonization of the Americas
Although Italian by birth, maritime explorer Christopher
Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered the
Americas under the Spanish emperors name. During his first
voyage, he led three Spanish galleons, the Nia, Pinta, and the
Santa Maria. All in all, between 1492 and 1503, Columbus
sailed between Spain and the Americas.

Ferdinand Magellan Hernan Cortes (1485-1547)

(c.1480-1521) Famous For: The fall of the Aztec empire
Famous For: First circumnavigation expedition Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes conquered and colonized
Ferdinand Magellan was the first sailor to circumnavigate the
seas from the Atlantic Ocean and cross the Pacific Ocean. He
discovered the Philippines where we was also killed in what is
known as the Battle of Mactan. His name has been associated to
not just things explored during his voyages, but to the stars and
galaxies above us as well.
Lewis and Clark
Famous For: The exploration of the western United States
US Army volunteers Second Lieutenant William Clark and
Captain Meriwether Lewis led the Corps of Discovery
Expedition in 1804. This took place just after the United States
completed of the Louisiana Purchase. They explored the western
United States beginning in Missouri through the Mississippi to
the Pacific coast.
Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512)
Famous For: His name being translated to America
Amerigo Vespucci is the man from whom the word America
comes from. Not only was this Italian man an explorer, he was a
cartographer and navigator. He was able to show that Brazil was
not part of Asia.
James Cook (1728-1779)
Famous For: Discovery of the Hawaiian Islands
An English captain who circumnavigated around the Atlantic to
the Pacific Ocean. He made contact with the inhabitants of the
Hawaiian Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and around the
Indian Ocean back to the Atlantic. He died while serving the
Crown in Hawaii.
parts of South America. Cortes was successful in reaching
Mayan territory along the Yucatan Peninsula, leading to his
conquest of Mexico. Most notably, he is known for his
overthrow of the Aztec empire. It must be noted that Cortes used
his own money for the expeditions he undertook, leaving him
heavily in debt.
John Smith (c.1580-1631)
Famous For: Exploring Virginia and Chesapeake Bay rivers
One of the men responsible for establishing the earliest
settlement for the English in North America. As an explorer,
John Smith navigated the rivers between the Chesapeake Bay
and Virginia. He also helped map out the areas of New England
and Chesapeake Bay.
Francisco Pizarro (c.1471 or 1476-1541)
Famous For: His conquest of the Incan empire
Another Spanish conquistador whose main claim to fame is his
expedition to South America and the overthrow of the Incan
empire. He ventured to cross the Atlantic in search of the riches
that the New World promised, even to find the riches of El
Dorado.
John Cabot (c.1450-1499)
Famous For: Being the first European to explore North
America
His name does sound very Anglo, but this Italian explorer
contributed to the Age of Discovery. His real name is Zuan
Chabotto, and under the auspices of King Henry VII of England
was instrumental in the discovery of sections of North America.
Cabot was instrumental in exploring a Northwest Passage in
North America.
 Jacques Cartier (1491-1557)
Famous For: Exploring North America what is now Canada
One of the earliest French explorers, Jacques Cartier mapped
and provided a description of the Saint Lawrence River. He
claimed what is now Canada for France. Cartier attempted to
find a crossing to reach Asia through the Northern passage and
instead discovers Canada.
Sacagawea (c.1788-1812)
Famous For: Traveling as guide with the Lewis and Clark
Expedition
Native American Sacagawea came from the Lemhi Shoshone
tribe and was helpful as guide and interpreter during the
exploration of Lewis and Clark. Sacagawea joined the
expedition from North Dakota all the way across to the Pacific
Ocean which took them roughly two years. The spelling and
pronunciation of her name have varied over the years, one thing
is certain, her role in the exploration of the Western United
States cannot be underestimated.
Jacques Cousteau (1910-1997)
Famous For: His study and exploration of life under the sea
As a French Naval officer, Jacques Yves Cousteau blazed a trail
and captured the imagination of people when it came to
exploring life under the sea. Not only was he an officer and
explorer, he was also a conservationist, filmmaker, photographer,
and scientist. He had a ship named Calypso which was retro-
fitted to meet his exploratory demands and also a TV program
that became famous during the late 60s through the early
70s, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.
Daniel Boone (1734-1820)
Famous For: Blazing the Wilderness Road
Daniel Boone was a man, a real man so at least the song goes.
In reality, Boone was an explorer, frontiersman, and pioneer who
blazed the trail from Virginia to Kentucky through the
Appalachian Mountains. He fought during the American
Revolution, elected to the Virginia Assembly, and of course
became a legend in his own time.
Henry Hudson (c.1560s/1570s-1611)
Famous For: Exploring New York area and has a river named
after him, the Hudson River
English Commander Henry Hudson tried to establish a passage
through the New World to reach China. The Dutch East India
company financed his voyage in search of that route. Instead, he
found himself establishing a Dutch Colony in what is today New
York City. He and his son perished when some of his men
mutinied against him.
Francis Drake (c.1540-1596)
Famous For: Circumnavigating the world the 2nd time
English Vice Admiral Sir Francis Drake is known for several
exploits during his time. He is best known for being the second
man to circumnavigate the world between 1577 and 1580. The
other things Drake is known for other than being a captain, he
was a navigator, politician, a privateer, and slave trader.
 Samuel de Champlain (1574-1635)
Famous For: Being the Father of New France
Samuel de Champlain explored North America in the early 17th
century. Born in France and with his family being mariners, de
Champlain helped found Quebec City and New France in what
is today located in Canada. He was a skilled cartographer which
allowed him to make an accurate map of the Canadian coastline
that aided in the establishment of French settlements. This
earned him the title, Father of New France.
Juan Ponce de Leon (1474-1521)
Famous For: The search of the Fountain of Youth and discovery
of Florida
Spanish conquistador and explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and the
legendary fountain of youth have been linked to one another up
to this day. He was the man who led an expeditionary journey
into what is today Florida, and became Governor of Puerto Rico.
In search of the fountain of youth, de Leon accidentally
discovered Florida.
Reinhold Messner (1944)
Famous For: His solo climb of Mount Everest and all
fourteen eight-thousanders
Explorers come in all forms, Reinhold Messner is one for the
ages. He successfully climbed Mount Everest in 1978 with no
oxygen to supplement his climb. He is also the first man to climb
fourteen mountains that are at least 8,000 meters (26,247 feet)
high. The lowest mountain he climbed was Gasherbrum II at the
China-Pakistan Karakoram range, its height, 8,034 meters
(26,358 feet).
Zheng He (1371-1433)
Famous For: Expeditionary voyages throughout Asia, Middle
East, and East Africa
As one of the earliest known Chinese explorers, Zheng He
(Cheng Ho) led voyages that brought him through Africa, the
Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. His exploits are
written in book entitled Biography of Our Homelands Great
Navigator, Zheng He, by author Liang Qihao in 1904.
Hernando de Soto (c.1496/1497-1542)
Famous For: Being the first European to cross the Mississippi
River
In search of gold and silver, along with trying to find a short cut
to China, Spanish explorer and conquistador Hernando de Soto
ends up exploring the Southeastern portion of the United States
and thereby crossing the Mississippi River ending up in Texas.
Leif Ericson (c.970-1020)
Famous For: First man to set foot on North America
Vikings and Norse explorer Leif Ericson are forever linked to
one another. Ericson is the first European to set foot on North
America, even before Christopher Columbus who did it 500
years after Leif had done so. One of the earliest North America
settlements that this Norwegian helped establish was on what is
today Newfoundland, Canada.
 Bartolomeu Dias (c.1451-1500)
Famous For: First European to sail around the southern tip of
Africa
Portuguese explorer and navigator Bartolomeu Dias was the first
man to captain a ship that sailed to the southern tip of Africa.
King John (Joao) II of Portugal commissioned him to find a
trade route that would lead to India. Following the coastline of
Western Africa, and encountering the Cape of Storms, or better
known as the Cape of Good Hope.
Roald Amundsen (1872-c.1928)
Famous For: discovery of the South Pole
Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen led an expedition that
brought them to the Antarctic and thereby his discovery of the
South Pole in 1911 and years later leading another team to the
North Pole. In addition, Roald is known to have been the first to
go through the Northwest Passage, a route that begins in the
Arctic Ocean and ends in the Pacific Ocean. Amundsen is one of
four men considered leader of the Heroic Age of Antarctic
Exploration.

Edmund Hillary (1919-2008) Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968)

Famous For: Being the first to reach the summit of Mount Famous For: First man to go into outer space
Everest Gagarin, a cosmonaut under the Soviet Union has the distinction
New Zealander Edmund Hillary and fellow mountaineer Tenzing of being the first man to travel into outer space. He orbited the
Norgay were the first known and confirmed climbers ever to earth on his Vostok spacecraft in April 1961.
make it to the peak of Mount Everest in 1953. Other notable
feats that Hillary accomplished in addition to his Mount Everest
adventure is that he also reached both the North and South Pole,
which made him the first man to ever reach all three landmarks.
During World War II, Hillary was part of the New Zealand Air
Force working as a navigator.

Ibn Battuta (1304-1369)

Famous For: His travels to Islamic countries throughout the
world
The stories of Ibn Battutas adventures is chronicled in a book
entitled Rihla which means Journey. In a course of more than
30 years, Battuta visited various parts of the Asian and African
continent which include China, South Asia, Horn of Africa, and
the Middle East to name a few. Ibn also visited parts of Eastern
Europe.