Christopher Columbus: In 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set out to find a new route to Asia but insted landed in the Bahamas. He mistakening believed he had reached the Indies.
John Cabot: In 1497, Italian exporer John Cabot, sailing on behalf of England, reached the eastcoast of North America and explored a part of what is now Newfoundland and Labradoor in present-day Canada.
Amerigo Vespucci: Another Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, explored the east coast of south America in 1499 and 1501-02. He realized that the newly discovered lands were not Asia, but an indepedent continent, thus giving rise to the name " America".
Ferdinand Magellan: In 1519, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan embarked on a Spanish - sponsered expedition to find a westward route to Asia. During the voyage, he became the first European to navigate the strait that now bears his name (the Strait of Magellan) connecting the Atlantic and pacific oceans. His vessel, the Victoria, eventually completed the first circumnavigation of the world, thought Magellan himself died in the Philippines before the journey's end.
These explorers and their voyage played crucial roles in broadening European knowledge of the world, shaping the age of exploration and colonization that followed.