GREATEST TRAVELLERS

GREATEST TRAVELLERS 

HERODOTUS

1-An ancient Greek traveler and historian, who explored Europe (Greece, Macedonia), Asia (Persian Empire, Babylon, Susa, Ecbatana), Africa: Egypt, Elephantine; by sea to Tyre and Libya; and back to the Black Sea (Crimea and Colchians’ land), and Syrian coast up to Egypt.

2-"Father of History" in Western culture: wrote about people, cities and way of life.

3-He was the first to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy and arrange them in a well-constructed and vivid narrative, that he read during Olympic Games

4=Sometimes made mistakes: wrote that Alps were a river..

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

31/10/1451 – 5/20/1506

1-Navigator, colonizer, and explorer from Genoa, Italy

2-Found the Americas while seeking a sea route to India

3-Spanish Queen, Isabella I of Castile gave him three ships: Santa Maria, Pinta and Niña.

4-In 1492 landed on Bahamas, thought it was India, or China.

5-1^st went to see at age 14.

6-In his 20s, travelled seas as a pirate, or Privateer, attacking ships belonging to the Moors

7-Started Spanish colonization of the “New World”

8-Initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans.

9-1^st European to visit parts of Central and South America...

AMERIGO VESPUCCI

03/9/1454 – Feb 22, 1512

1-A Spanish explorer, navigator and cartographer, born in Italy.

2-The continents of North America and South America were named after him.

3-Vespucci participated as observer in several voyages that explored the east coast of South America between 1499 and 1502.

4-Vespucci wanted to learn more about basically everything!

5-Although Vespucci didn't find the new star, or strait, he did give map makers 3,300 miles more materials

6-Unlike Columbus, he did believe that he had found an unknown continent.

LEIF ERICSSON

1-Founded a colony in America ~500 years before Columbus

2-Probably born in Norway

3-Built settlements in Canada, explored up to mid west USA

4-His people, the Vikings, had many skilled seamen

5-Was the son of Eric the Red, who started first colony in Greenland

6-Many scholars believe that E. was blown off his course during return voyage from Greenland to Norway and discovered N. American coast.

7-Called N. America Vinland for the wild grapes found in there.  

8-Continued visiting North America until climate changed and cold weather made it impossible to get there.

FERDINAND MAGELLAN

(1480-1521)

1-Portuguese explorer who led the 1st expedition that sailed around the Earth (1519-22).

2-Was the 1^st European explorer to reach the Pacific from the Atlantic.

3-Named the Pacific Ocean (the name means that it is a calm, peaceful ocean).

4-Sailed through the dangerous straits below South America that now bear his name

5-As a child, was a page boy at King John II of Portugal

6-His goal was to prove he could sail from Europe to India via the tip of South America

7-Emperor Charles V of Spain provided the ships for the trip

Took three years to sail.

JAMES COOK

10/27/1728- 2/14/1779

1- British explorer and astronomer who went on many expeditions to the Pacific Ocean, Arctic, around the world, and discovered Antarctic and Easter Island.

2-1^st journey: sailed to Tahiti to observe Venus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun (to determine the distance between the Earth and the Sun). Mapped New Zealand and eastern Australia.

3-Last: searched for a NW Passage across North America to Asia. Cook was killed Hawaii by natives in dispute.

4-The first ship's captain to stop the deadly disease scurvy (caused by a lack of vitamin C) among sailors by providing them with fresh fruits.