journeys of exploration

Timeline

3 Aug 1492: Led by admiral Christopher Columbus, a crew of 90 men and three small ships called the Niña, Pinta, and the Santa María set sail from the south coast of Spain. Their mission is to find a sea route to the Indies by sailing west from Europe.
12 Oct 1492: Christopher Columbus makes landfall in the New World for the first time, 33 days after setting sail from Spain. The exact site (called "Guanahani") is not certain, but San Salvador Island, Bahamas, is generally favored among scholars.
28 Oct 1492: Columbus makes second landfall on Cuba
6 Dec 1492: Columbus lands on Haiti
16 Jan 1493: Columbus sails back to Spain with Haiti
1497: John Cabot Rediscovers Newfoundland for England
20 May 1498: Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reaches Calicut, India. He has successfully opened a sea route from Europe to the East, via the Cape of Good Hope.
Aug 1542: Francisco de Orellana sails the length of the Amazon River
1577: Sir Francis Drake becomes the first Englishman to sail around the world.