1. Big 12 Explorers

2. Columbus - Spain Sailed west to Indies Landed in the Bahamas
Sailed for Spain (King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella

3. Magellan – Portugal Searched for passage to Pacific Ocean
Sailed through “straits of Magellan”
Died in Philippines
Crew lst to circumnavigate the world

4. Cabot – Great Britain Sailed for England
Landed on coast of New-foundland, Canada
Gave England claim to North America

5. Ponce de Leon - Spain 1st to land on the mainland of North America
Looking for “fountain of youth”
Established St. Augustine, Florida
First governor of Puerto Rico

6. De Soto - Spain Sailed for Spain
Explored Mississippi River – Present-day Oklahoma
First to cross the Mississippi

7. Coronado - Spain Looking for fabled seven cities of gold
Explored present-day Mexico - Kansas

8. Cortes - Spain Spanish Conquistador
Conquered Aztec emperor Montezuma in modern day Mexico

9. Balboa - Spain Spanish Explorer
Claimed Pacific Ocean and adjoining lands for Spain
Crossed the Isthmus of Panama to the Pacific

10. Pizzaro - Spain
Conquered the Inca Empire
Founded Lima, Puru

11. Vespucci - Italy Amerigo Vespucci
First to demonstrate that the New World was not Asia
America was named after him

12. Bartolomeu Dias - Portugal
First to sail around the tip of Africa
Found sea route from Europe to Asia.

13. Vasco da Gama - Portugal
First European to reach India
Started European rule in India