Home -> Encyclopedia -> History – Main Figures in The Age of Exploration
- Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) – This article explores the life and voyages of Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for widespread European exploration and the eventual conquest of the Americas by Europeans.
- Vasco da Gama (1460–1524) – This entry provides a detailed look at the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, who was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India. He is credited with connecting the Atlantic and the Indian oceans, which had significant implications for global trade routes.
- Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521) – The article on Ferdinand Magellan explores the journeys of this Portuguese explorer who organised the first circumnavigation of the Earth, completed by Juan Sebastián Elcano after Magellan’s death in the Philippines.
- Juan Ponce de León (1474–1521) – The showcase on Ponce de León provides information about the Spanish explorer and conquistador who became the first Governor of Puerto Rico and led the first known European expedition to Florida, which he named.
- John Cabot (1450-1499) – This page offers a biography of Venetian navigator and explorer John Cabot, who is credited with the discovery of the mainland of North America under the commission of King Henry VII of England.
- Francisco Pizarro (1471–1541) – The article about Francisco Pizarro discusses the tumultuous life of this Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that conquered the Inca Empire and claimed most of western South America for Spain.
- Jacques Cartier (1491–1557) – This entry showcases Jacques Cartier, the first European to map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named “The Country of Canadas”, after the Iroquois names for the two big settlements he saw at Stadacona (Quebec City) and at Hochelaga (Montreal Island).
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519) – This article delves into the life of Spanish explorer, governor, and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa, most known for having crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first European to lead an expedition that reached the Pacific from the New World.
- Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) – The article on Hernán Cortés presents a comprehensive review of the Spanish conquistador who led the expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire, bringing parts of mainland Mexico under the rule of King of Castille in the early 16th century.
- Henry the Navigator (1394–1460) – This piece is centered on Prince Henry of Portugal, commonly known as Henry the Navigator. Though he was not an explorer himself, he provided financial and moral support for explorations that opened up navigation to the Atlantic Ocean and the African coastline that eventually allowed Europe to connect with the wider world.