Dutch explorer credited with being the first European to reach what are today known as Tasmania, Australia; New Zealand; and Fiji in the South Pacific.

Vespucci realized the land he was exploring was a separate continent and not part of Asia, as he and many others believed at the time. The continents of North and South America are named after him.

He was the first European explorer to sail around the tip of Africa, proving the Atlantic Ocean connects to the Indian Ocean, which opened opportunities for a new trade route to India.

He is credited for discovering the Americas in 1492, although we know today people were there long before him; his real achievement was that he opened the door for more exploration to a New World.

Privateer and notable explorer most remembered as the leader of the expedition to Virginia in 1606 and the establishment of the Jamestown Colony

He led the first circumnavigation of the world, and is considered the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean

He effectively ended Spanish dominance over the seas and the New World, allowing England to become a global empire.

He explored the southwestern part of the United States, which helped claim the land for Spanish colonization

Francisco Pizarro contributed to the Spanish empire gaining control over South America by conquering the great Inca Empire in Peru

He explored much of the North American east coast from North Carolina up to Maine, and was the first European to reach present day New York

English captain and navigator who discovered the Hudson River, Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay and sailed through parts of the Arctic on his search for a Northwest Passage to China

Hernán Cortés was the Spanish conquistador responsible for conquering the Aztec Empire and building Mexico City which secured Spain’s position in the New World.

Spanish explorer and conquistador who helped conquer parts of Central and South America, explored the southeastern region of the United States, and is credited as the first European to cross the Mississippi River

French navigator and explorer credited with naming Canada, exploring the St. Lawrence River, and Canadian areas that would become French territory

He was a Spanish explorer who became the first governor of Puerto Rico, the first European known to reach the mainland of present day United States, and he gave Florida its name.

He was the first European to discover Brazil, and also established a successful sea route to India and a leader in trade there

French explorer and cartographer best known for establishing and governing settlements in Canada, mapping the St. Lawrence River, discovering the Great Lakes, and founding the city of Quebec

Portuguese explorer and navigator who found a direct sea route from Europe to Asia, and was the first European to sail to India by going around Africa.

Explorer and Conquistador who was head of the first South American settlement, and the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean

British explorer who sponsored the first attempt to found a permanent English settlement at Roanoke Island, and later sought to find the legendary city of El Dorado.

Chinese explorer who commanded several treasure fleets – Chinese ships that explored and traded across Asia and Africa. His expeditions greatly expanded China’s trade.