Abel Janszoon Tasman’s explorations across the Indian Ocean and into the South Pacific helped him become the first European to discover Tasmania, and confirm Australia as an island continent.

Amerigo Vespucci’s voyages across the Atlantic helped prove that Columbus did not reach Asia, but instead found a New World to the Europeans

Bartolomeu Dias proved for Europeans that Africa is not connected to the bottom of the world, and that the Atlantic and Indian Oceans connect; thus opening a faster trade route to India

Christopher Columbus sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean searching for a new sea route to the spices in India. He never made it to Asia, but instead discovered a “New World” to Europeans.

Christopher Newport was among the first to the Jamestown Colony in 1607, and through his voyages, resupplied the colony to help keep it growing and sustained

Ferdinand Magellan is credited for making the first European voyage around the globe

Francisco Coronado was one of the first Europeans to heavily explore the southwest portion of North America for the Spanish Empire

Francisco Pizarro’s voyages gave Spain a strong grip in the New World by conquering the Inca Empire and claiming much of South America for the Spanish Empire

Giovannia da Verrazzano’s voyages took him along most of the eastern coast and surrounding waterways of North America

Henry Hudson made several voyages along upper North America and into the Arctic while searching for the Northwest Passage route to Asia

Hernando Cortes sailed from Spain to the Caribbean and then eventually to Mexico where he went on to conquer the Aztec Empire

Hernando de Soto explored and conquered parts of Central and South America, and became credited as the first European to cross the Mississippi River in North America

Jacques Cartier’s voyages across the Atlantic Ocean brought him to northern North America which he claimed for France and named “Canada, and explored much of the St. Lawrence River

Juan Ponce de Leon sailed and explored the southern east coast of North America for Spain, and gave “Florida” its name

Pedro Álvares Cabral claimed Brazil on the eastern side of South America for Portugal

Samuel de Champlain took several voyages to Canada, where he mapped the St. Lawrence River and became the first European to discover the Great Lakes

Vasco da Gama was the first European to reach Asia by sailing around the southern tip of Africa

Vasco Nuñez de Balboa not only explored parts of South America, became he became the first European to reach the Pacific Ocean

Zheng He took seven major voyages throughout Asia and to parts of Africa, making him one of China’s greatest explorers