Age of Exploration

Columbus Sets Sail

Aug 3, 1492

Christopher Columbus and his crew set sail from Spain with a fleet of three ships: the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. He was on a journey to find a western sea route to Asia. Little did he know that there was an entire continent standing in his way.

Columbus Sets Foot in the Bahamas

Oct 12, 1492

While Christopher Columbus actually landed on an island in the Bahamas, he believed he had landed in Asia and accomplished his mission. He named the first island he explored San Salvador.

Columbus Reaches Cuba

Oct 29, 1492

Although Columbus believed that he had reached mainland China, he was actually on an entirely separate island which is now known as Cuba.

Columbus Finds Hispaniola

Dec 5, 1492

Departing Cuba, Columbus made landfall on the island of Hispaniola on December 5. Today, this island is divided into Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Returning to Europe

Mar 4, 1493

After months at sea, Columbus returned to Europe. The ships arrived in Lisbon, Portugal, on March 4, returning to Spain shortly after that.

Columbus' Second Voyage Commences

Oct 13, 1493

On this voyage, Columbus departed Spain with a fleet of 17 ships and over 1,000 men. This time, it was to be a full-scale colonization and exploration.

Columbus Spots Dominica and Guadeloupe

Nov 3, 1493

Christopher Columbus landed on the islands of Dominica and Guadeloupe and claimed them for Spain. Moving on, Columbus proceeded to discover and explore a number of small islands.

Vespucci Reaches the Americas?

Jul 1, 1497

A controversial letter dated in 1497 suggests that Vespucci may have initially gone to the New World before Columbus. This letter accounts an expedition to the Bahamas and Central America. Many historians dispute the authenticity of this document, but if it were proved not to be a forgery, it would place Amerigo in the Americas more than a year before Columbus.

Vespucci Begins His Voyage

May 1, 1499

Vespucci embarked on his expedition as a navigator under the command of Alonzo de Ojeda.

Vespucci Lands in South America

Jul 1, 1499

Vespucci traveled to the coast of what is now Guyana, a small country in South America. He then went on to explore the coast of Brazil and discover the Amazon River.

Amerigo Makes a Groundbreaking Discovery

1501

Vespucci, a skilled astronomer and navigator, observed the constellations and coastlines they came across. He noted that these constellations were not visible from Europe and that the land masses they had explored were actually larger and different than previous descriptions of Asia. Using this information, Vespucci came to the conclusion that this was not Asia but it was actually an entirely separate continent.

Vespucci Departs on Another Trans-Atlantic Journey

May 14, 1501

This time under the service of Portugal rather than Spain, Amerigo Vespucci set sail for modern-day Cape Verde.

Amerigo Arrives back in the Americas

Jul 1, 1501

Amerigo Vespucci sailed to the Cape Verde islands before heading for the coast of Brazil. When he arrived in Brazil, Vespucci continued south to discover Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata.

Columbus Explores Central America

Aug 14, 1502

On August 14, Columbus landed on the American mainland at Puerto Castillo in Honduras. He spent two months exploring the coasts of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica in what is now considered to be Central America.

Vespucci Sails Again

Jun 10, 1503

Sailing again under the Portugese flag, Vespucci headed back to Brazil. He managed to discover two islands: Bahia and South Georgia.

Amerigo Vespucci Inspires "America"

1507

Scholars and mapmakers were working on a geography book. They proposed to name a portion of the "New World" America as a way of honoring the person who discovered it. America instead became a part of the name of many continents that Vespucci explored and evolved into his legacy.

Magellan Heads Toward the New World

Aug 1, 1519

Spain provided Magellan with a fleet of five ships with a total of 251 men on board the ships. His objective was to find a westerly route to the Moluccas, which had plentiful spices.

Magellan Reaches South America

Sep 20, 1519

When the fleet reached South America, they began at Brazil and proceeded to go down the coast to Patagonia. They were in search of a route into what would later be known as the Pacific Ocean.

Magellan Enters the Pacific

Oct 1, 1520

Magellan and his men started to pass through what is now called the Strait of Magellan, which took over a month for them to cross. Once they reached the other side of the strait, they had made the voyage into the Pacific Ocean.

Magellan Discovers Guam

Mar 6, 1521

Magellan had successfully crossed into the Pacific Ocean when the found the island of Guam. After anchoring there, they continued their journey to the spice islands.

Magellan Travels to the Philippines

Mar 16, 1521

Magellan's fleet reached Homonhom Island on the edge of the Philippines in March. Magellan traded with the island king, Rajah Humabon, and formed a bond.

The Death of Magellan

Apr 27, 1521

On the island of Homonhom, the Spanish crew became involved in a deadly between Humabon and another opposing leader. Magellan was killed in the midst of battle on April 27, 1521.

Magellan's Crew Sails to the Moluccas

Nov 1, 1521

Part of Magellan's crew escaped the Phillipines and continued on their journey to the spice islands. They arrived at their destination in November.

Circumnavigation of the Globe

Sep 8, 1522

After departing the Moluccas, Magellan's remaining crew members reached Spain on September 8, 1522. This incredible feet marked a complete circumnavigation of the globe. Magellan's crew managed to leave Spain and sail all the way around Earth back to Spain again.