Famous Explorers - List of Famous Explorers - page 5

Throughout the history of mankind, there have been several adventurous souls who set out to explore the unknown. Spirited and courageous, they risked their lives on their expeditions to seek out lands hitherto unknown to the civilized world. When we talk of explorers, Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama, would undoubtedly be one of the first names that come to our mind— after all as one of the pioneers of the ‘Age of Exploration’, he was the commander of one of the sailing ships that ventured into India from Europe. Venice native Marco Polo was another legendary explorer who set out to explore Asia and became the first European to meet the Mogul emperor Kublai Khan. While Christopher Columbus was the one to discover America by sailing through the Atlantic Ocean, it was Jacques Cartier, one of the earliest French explorers, who explored the region of Northern America to discover what is now Canada, and claimed the area for France. When US Army volunteers Second Lieutenant William Clark and Captain Meriwether Lewis led the Corps of Discovery Expedition in 1804, it was a woman explorer, Native American Sacagawea, who guided them on this expedition. Scroll down to discover many interesting facts about the famous explorers from all over the world.

The Most Famous Explorers

NameBirthdayNationalityBio
John Cabot1450ItalianJohn Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer who was the first European to discover the coast of North America
Marco Polo1254ItalianMarco Polo was the legendary Italian merchant, explorer and traveler, who travelled to China and worked under emperor, Kublai Khan
Henry Hudson1565BritishHenry Hudson was an early 17th century English navigator and explorer
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado1510SpanishFrancisco Vazquez de Coronado was a Spanish conquistador who became one of the first Europeans to discover the Grand Canyon
Hernán Cortés1485SpanishHernán Cortés was a Spanish soldier, better known as the conqueror of Mexico
Bear GryllsJune 7, 1974BritishBear Grylls is an adventurer popularly known for his bizarre survival tactics in reality television series Man vs
Hernando de Soto1500SpanishHernando de Soto was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquests of Central America and Peru
Robert PearyMay 6, 1856AmericanRobert Edwin Peary, Sr
Ferdinand Magellan1480PortugueseFerdinand Magellan was a famous Portuguese navigator and explorer
Ibn BattutaFebruary 25, 1304MoroccanIbn Batuta was a famous explorer of the medieval era who chronicled his travel accounts spanning over three decades
Charles Sturt

Charles Sturt

Charles Sturt was an English military officer and explorer who led three major expeditions towards the interior of eastern Australia

BritishApril 28, 1795176 views

Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés was a Spanish soldier, better known as the conqueror of Mexico

Spanish1485306 views

Knud Rasmussen

Knud Rasmussen was a famous Danish explorer who conducted seven explorations to Greenland and Arctic Circle for documenting the life of Inuits

GreenlanderJune 7, 1879183 views

Abel Tasman

Abel Tasman was a Dutch explorer who discovered New Zealand

Dutch1603156 views

Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan was a famous Portuguese navigator and explorer

Portuguese1480249 views

Jacob Roggeveen

Jacob Roggeveen was a Dutch explorer who discovered Easter Island

DutchFebruary 1, 1659154 views

Roald Amundsen

Roald Amundsen was the first explorer to reach the South Pole

NorwegianJuly 16, 1872119 views

Sir Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton was a celebrated Anglo-Irish polar explorer

BritishFebruary 15, 1874162 views

Walter Raleigh

Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, politician and explorer

BritishJanuary 22, 1554109 views

Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer, politician and soldier

AmericanAugust 18, 1774162 views