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Aug 10, 2023 · From Christopher Columbus to Marco Polo, these celebrated—and controversial—explorers made groundbreaking journeys across the globe. By Caroline Redmond Updated: Aug 10, 2023 Getty Images
- Marco Polo (1254-1324) A Venetian merchant and adventurer, Marco Polo travelled along the Silk Road from Europe to Asia between 1271 and 1295. Originally invited to the court of Kublai Khan (1215-1294) with his father and uncle, he remained in China for 17 years where the Mongol ruler sent him on fact-finding missions to distant parts of the empire.
- Zheng He (c. 1371-1433) Known as the Three-Jewel Eunuch Admiral, Zheng He was China’s greatest explorer. Commanding the world’s mightiest fleet of 300 ships and as many as 30,000 troops, Admiral Zheng made 7 epic voyages to southeast Asia, south Asia, the Middle East and Africa between 1405 and 1433.
- Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) The Portuguese prince has a legendary status in the early stages of European exploration – despite never having embarked on an exploratory voyage himself.
- Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) Often called the “discoverer” of the New World, Christopher Columbus embarked on 4 voyages across the Atlantic Ocean between 1492 and 1504.
The following is a list of explorers. Their common names, countries of origin (modern and former), centuries when they were active and main areas of exploration are listed below. Marco Polo (1254–1324) was an Italian explorer who traveled to the Far East and back to his hometown Venice in the matter of 24 years.
NameModern (and Former) NationalityCenturiesMain Areas Explored16th16th16th17th- Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506) An Italian explorer, Columbus made four ground-breaking voyages to the Americas (1st journey was in 1492 to the Bahamas).
- Vasco de Gama (1469 – 1524) Vasco de Gama was a Portuguese explorer who was the first European to reach India by sea. De Gama made a direct voyage to India – travelling around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa – arriving in Calicut in 1498.
- Roald Amundsen (1872 – 1928) Amundsen was a Norwegian explorer and a key figure in the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. His Antarctic expedition of 1910-12 discovered the South Pole.
- Marco Polo (1254 – 1324) Polo was a Venetian traveller and explorer who made ground-breaking journeys to Asia and China. His journeys and writings helped to open up the Far East to Europe and inspired Christopher Columbus and many other explorers.
10 Famous Explorers Whose Discoveries Connected the World. From Christopher Columbus to Marco Polo, these celebrated—and controversial—explorers made groundbreaking journeys across the...
Dec 6, 2023 · These are the forty famous explorers from the past and present, with their first journeys: 1. Ferdinand Magellan. The Mariner’s Museum Collection, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. To start us off is the Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan, the man behind the first attempt to circumnavigate the globe successfully.
Apr 28, 2024 · In pre-modern times, people on different sides of the world barely knew about other nations and cultures. All this changed thanks to the famous explorers of the Age of Discovery. Let’s look at the pioneering explorers first with this list of the most famous explorers in history!
