Events with tag - Maritime Exploration

June 1, 1000

Leif Erikson Discovers North America

Viking explorer Leif Erikson becomes the first European to reach North America, establishing settlements in present-day Newfoundland around 1000 CE. His journey predated Christopher Columbus's voyage by nearly 500 years and led to the first documented European-Native American contact.

October 12, 1492

Columbus Discovers America

Christopher Columbus's historic voyage in 1492 led to the first sustained European contact with the Americas, when he landed in the Bahamas on October 12 after sailing across the Atlantic with three ships provided by the Spanish Crown.

April 2, 1513

Discovery of Florida

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León discovered Florida on April 2, 1513, marking the first documented European contact with the region. He named it 'La Florida' due to its flowering vegetation and the Easter season.

January 17, 1524

Verrazzano's Atlantic Coast Exploration

Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano conducted the first European exploration of the Atlantic coast from Florida to New Brunswick under French commission, covering over 5,000 nautical miles and making significant discoveries including New York Harbor.

May 14, 1602

Discovery of Cape Cod

English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold discovers Cape Cod during his expedition aboard the Concord, naming the peninsula after the abundant cod fish found in its waters. This historic voyage established one of the earliest English connections to what would later become the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

September 3, 1609

Hudson River Discovery

Henry Hudson, an English explorer commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, conducted a historic 23-day exploration of the Hudson River in 1609, becoming the first European to extensively navigate and document this major waterway. His journey laid the foundation for Dutch colonization and the establishment of New York.

February 1, 1682

La Salle's Mississippi River Expedition

In February 1682, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle led a historic expedition down the Mississippi River, becoming the first European to travel from its upper reaches to the Gulf of Mexico. This journey established French claims to the vast Louisiana Territory and transformed North American colonial development.

August 31, 1906

Northwest Passage Conquered

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen completed the first successful navigation of the Northwest Passage, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic. The three-year journey aboard the Gjøa marked a pivotal moment in maritime history.