The most famous European explorers came from England, Portugal, Spain, Italy and France. The voyages of discovery undertaken by these famous European explorers were motivated by wealth in the form of gold, silver and spices, increased power in Europe, prestige, trade, building the empire or spreading Christianity. Some famous European explorers included Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan and James Cook.
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese maritime explorer who while in the service of the Spanish crown, tried to find a westward route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia in 1519.
This was the first known successful attempt to circumnavigate the Earth. He did not complete his final westward voyage as he was killed during the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines. As he died farther went than the Spice Islands, which he had visited on earlier voyages from the west, he became one of the first individuals to cross all the meridians of the globe. He was the first person to lead an expedition sailing westward from Europe to Asia and to cross the Pacific Ocean.
Magellan should also be recognised as the first European explorer to enter the Pacific from the Strait of Magellan, which he discovered. He Is also remembered as the first European to reach the archipelago of what is now known as the Philippines, which was unknown to the Western world before his landing. Arab traders had established commerce within the archipelago centuries earlier. Of the 270 crew members who set out with Magellan to circumnavigate the Earth, only 18 completed the circumnavigation of the globe and managed to return to Spain.
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was born in the Italian seaport of Genoa in 1451. He became an experienced sailor and moved to Lisbon in Portugal to try and gain support for a new journey he was planning. Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Spain, agreed to support him.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Europeans wanted to find sea routes to the East. Columbus wanted to find a new route to the Far East, to India, China, Japan and the Spice Islands. If he could reach these lands, he would be able to bring back rich cargoes of silks and spices. Columbus knew that the world was round and realised that by sailing west, instead of east around the coast of Africa, as other explorers at the time were doing, he would still reach the East and the rich Spice Islands. Columbus landed in the new world of the Americas in 1492. Explorers coming after him in the 16th century brought the news to Europe that the Pacific Ocean laid beyond the western coast of America. Suddenly people began to understand that they could reach the East by sailing westwards from Europe.
Captain James Cook
James Cook was a British explorer and astronomer who went on many expeditions to the Pacific Ocean, the Antarctic, the Arctic and around the world.
Cook’s first journey lasted from August 26, 1768 to July 13, 1771, when he sailed to Tahiti on the Endeavour in order to observe Venus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun. He was also searching for a large, southern continent that was thought to exist (but does not). Many scientists accompanied him on the voyage, including, the botanist Joseph Banks.
Cook sailed to New Zealand on October 6,1769, where he and his crew fought with the Maori (the earliest inhabitants of New Zealand) and mapped much of the two major islands (the strait between these two islands is now named Cook Strait) and showed that it was not part of the larger southern continent.
He then sailed to and mapped eastern and northern Australia (the Endeavour was stuck for a day on the Great Barrier Reef off north-eastern Australia; the ship was damaged by coral and almost sank). They repaired the ship in northern Queensland (the site of Cooktown and the mouth of the Endeavour River), completing the repairs on August 6, 1770. Cook sailed through the strait between Australia and New Guinea and reached Batavia, Java, in October, 1770.
On July 13, 1771, the Endeavour returned to England after a journey of almost the years.
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