FunThe most famous explorers and their surprising discoveries

The most famous explorers and their surprising discoveries

Many have been throughout history , people who have decided to explore the world beyond their territories. Sometimes in an almost casual way but always keeping in mind that they were embarked on an adventure that led them to discover great places. These are the most famous explorers and their amazing discoveries.

The most famous explorers and their surprising discoveries

Marco Polo or Christopher Columbus are two of the names that are always mentioned when talking about great discoverers or explorers , but the truth is that they were not the only ones so in addition to them, we want to list others who somehow changed the course of history.

Marco Polo

Crossing borders (including those that have not been “invented”) was probably the coolest activity in the early 14th century, and it was around this time that the explorer Marco Polo embarked on adventures in the hitherto mysterious and little-known continent of Asia . Together with his father, Niccolò, and his uncle, Maffeo, Marco traveled for more than 20 years in Asia, an epic journey recounted in the book Marco Polo’s Travels. The histories, accounts and geographical descriptions were dictated to the writer Rustichello of Pisa by the explorer, while he was imprisoned in Genoa. Even centuries later, it is worth reading.

Christopher Columbus

To reach the “New World”, Christopher Columbus set sail for the only ocean known at that time, the Atlantic. At that time, the fever of expeditions and navigation was on the rise in Europe, and this motivated the Genoese explorer to leave for the West. His idea was to reach the Indies without having to go around the African continent . Financed by Spain, on August 3, 1492, Columbus undertook an adventure in which he ended up discovering that in the middle of the road there was not a stone, but America. Two months after leaving Palos de la Frontera, Columbus anchored off the island of the Bahamas . Repeating the “mistake”, Columbus also explored the territories that would become known as the Antilles, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Cuba.

Leif Eriksson

However, Columbus was not the first European to visit the American continent. The Viking explorer Leif Eriksson arrived in North America 500 years before the Genoese. In Viking myths, there were reports of a place described as Vinland (land of vineyards), a territory that would have been discovered in the 10th century, a Norse settlement off the coast of the island of Newfoundland in Canada. Comparing the records with the remains found, the researchers concluded that it was the same place. The oldest European settlement on the American continent was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978.

Vasco da Gama

The first trip made directly between Europe and India was in charge of the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama . It was no small thing: tracing the sea route to the Indies was of the utmost importance for Portugal, since there they could obtain spices (such as pepper and nutmeg) that, at that time, were really worth gold. By avoiding the African continent in 1497 and leading the Portuguese to their coveted destination, Vasco da Gama not only helped consolidate Portuguese maritime power, but also allowed them to take over trade routes.

Robert Bartlett

New Zealander Robert Bartlett’s passion was the Arctic. The New Zealand navigator and explorer began his travels early: at the age of 17 he was already embarking on missions to explore and map the waters of the extreme north of the planet. More than 50 years was dedicated to the frozen region; In all, he led more than 40 expeditions to the Arctic , more than anyone else on the planet. In 1909, Bartlett received the Hubbard Medal from the National Geographic Society, awarded to those who excel in exploration, discovery, and research.

Edmund Hillary

Also a New Zealander and used to cold temperatures, Edmund Hillary dreamed big: he decided to climb Mount Everest together with Tenzing Norgay. His predilection for heights began in his teens: in 1939, he made his first major climb, reaching the top of Mount Ollivier, a 1,900-meter mountain located in New Zealand. The 8,850 meter climb of the world’s highest mountain took place in 1953. On May 29, Edmund and Tenzing reached the top of Everest, the first successful ascent of the monumental mountain. After that, Edmund still climbed another 10 Himalayan peaks.

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