Christopher Columbus Birth: 1451 Death: 1506 Nationality: Italian Birthplace: Genoa, Italy

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1 Christopher Columbus Birth: 1451 Death: 1506 Nationality: Italian Birthplace: Genoa, Italy Early Life Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa, part of present-day Italy, in Christopher studied mapmaking and sailing. He joined the Genoese fleet and sailed on the Mediterranean Sea. After one of his ships became wrecked off the coast of Portugal, he decided to work as a cartographer (mapmaker) and bookseller. Christopher Columbus owned a copy of Marco Polo s famous book, and it gave him a love for exploration. Historical background During the 15th century, spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and black pepper, were extremely valuable. These spices were used for flavouring and preserving food. Spices could not be grown in Europe so people wanted to discover the quickest sea route to the Spice Islands (known today as Indonesia). There were rumours from other sailors that Asia could be reached by sailing west. Hearing this, Christopher Columbus decided to try and make this voyage himself. Columbus went to King John of Portugal to pay for (fund) his voyage and to the rulers of England, and France, but they turned him down. After seven years of trying, he was funded by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Voyage He set sail on August 3, 1492 with three ships. The three ships were named; the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. The voyage was long and difficult. At one point his men threatened mutiny (rebel against the commander s orders) and wanted to turn back. Columbus promised them he would turn back in two days if they didn't find land. In his journal, however, he wrote that he had no intention of turning back.

2 On October 12, 1492 land was spotted. It was a small island in the Bahamas that Columbus would name San Salvador. He met natives there that he called Indians because he was convinced that he had landed on islands off the coast of East Asia. He also visited other islands in the Caribbean such as Cuba and Hispaniola. Upon returning home, Columbus was treated like a hero. He presented some of the things he had found during his voyage including turkeys, pineapples, and some natives he had captured. The King of Spain was pleased and agreed to fund more expeditions. Columbus would make three more voyages to the Americas. He explored more of the Caribbean and mainland America. Principal voyage 03/08/1492 Departs from Palos, Spain 06/09/1492 Departs Gomera (Canary Islands) after repair and refit. 12/10/1492 New world sighted at 2:00 a.m. by Rodrigo de Triana, somewhere in the Bahamas. 29/10/1492 Arrived at Cuba. 05/12/1492 Arrived at Hispaniola. 25/12/1492 Flagship Santa Maria sinks off Hispaniola. Columbus finds La Navidad. 16/01/1493 Departs Hispaniola for Spain in the Niña. 14/02/1493 Niña and Pinta are separated in a fierce storm. 04/03/1493 Arrives at Lisbon, Portugal. 15/03/1493 Niña and Pinta return to Palos, Spain. Later Years and Death Columbus died at Valladolid on May 20, 1506, due to illness and old age. He still believed that he had travelled to the eastern part of Asia. Legacy Columbus never made it to Asia, nor did he truly discover America. His voyage inspired further exploration of the American continents by Europeans and started trade between Europe and the Americas.

3 Ferdinand Magellan Birth: 1480 Death: 1521 Nationality: Portuguese Birthplace: Porto or Sabrosa, Portugal Early years Ferdinand Magellan was born in 1480 in northern Portugal. He grew up in a wealthy family and served as a page (servant) in the royal court. He enjoyed sailing and exploring. Historical background During the 15th century, spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and black pepper, were extremely valuable. These spices were used for flavouring and preserving food. Spices could not be grown in Europe so people wanted to discover the quickest sea route to the Spice Islands (known today as Indonesia). Europeans had reached the Spice Islands by sailing east, but none had yet to sail west from Europe to reach the other side of the world. Magellan was determined to be the first to do so. The King of Portugal did want to pay for (fund) the voyage. Magellan went to the King Charles V of Spain who agreed to fund the voyage. Principal Voyage Ferdinand Magellan departed from Spain in 1519 with a fleet of five ships to discover a western sea route to the Spice Islands. There were over 270 men and five ships under his command. The ships were named; the Trinidad the Santiago, the Victoria, the Concepcion, and the San Antonio. As Magellan's ships sailed south the weather turned bad and cold. They had also not brought enough food. Some of the sailors decided to mutiny (rebel against the commander s orders) and tried to steal three of the ships. Magellan fought back, however, and had the leaders of the mutiny killed.

4 Magellan continued to sail south and found the passage he was seeking. He called the passage the All Saints Channel, today it is called the Strait of Magellan. When he entered the ocean on the other side of the new world, he called the ocean the Pacifico (meaning peaceful), today it is called the Pacific Ocean. Magellan thought it would only take a few days to cross the Pacific Ocean. He was wrong. It took nearly four months for the ships to make it to the Mariana Islands. They barely made it and nearly starved during the voyage. After stocking up on supplies, the ships then headed to the Philippines. Magellan became involved in an argument between local tribes. He and around 40 of his men were killed in a battle. Magellan did not see the end of his historic journey. Only one of the original five ships made it back to Spain. The Victoria returned in September of 1822, three years after first leaving. Only 18 of the 270 sailors completed the first trip around the world. One of the survivors, Antonio Pigafetta, wrote detailed journals throughout the voyage recording all of the events that happened. Much of what we know about Magellan's travels comes from his journals. Timeline of voyage 20/09/1519 Departed Sanlúcar de Barrameda. 13/12/1519 Arrived at Rio de Janeiro Bay. 12/01/1520 Arrived at Río de la Plata. 31/02/1520 Arrived at Puerto San Julián. 01/04/1520 Mutiny on Victoria, Concepcion and San Antonio. 01/06/1520 Encountered the Patagonian giants (the Tehuelche people). 11/10/1520 Arrived at Strait of Magellan. 28/11/1520 Fleet leaves the Strait of Magellan and enters the Pacific Ocean. 06/03/1521 Arrived at Mariana Islands and encountered the Chamorro people. 16/03/1521 Arrived at Philippines. 27/04/1521 Magellan Died during the Battle of Mactan. 02/05/1521 Arrived at Brunei. 08/11/1521 Arrived at Maluku Islands. 25/01/1522 Arrived at Timor 19/05/1522 Passes the Cape of Good Hope and enters the Atlantic Ocean. 09/07/1522 Arrived at Santiago. 08/09/1522 Arrived at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, completing the circumnavigation.

5 Legacy Magellan and his crew were Christians, wherever they went they would spread the word of God to the people to tell them to become a Christian. During the voyage, he discovered what is now known as the Strait of Magellan and became the first European to cross the Pacific Ocean. The voyage was long and dangerous, and only one ship returned home three years later. Magellan was killed in battle during the voyage, but his voyage proved that the world could be navigated by sea and that was much larger than had previously been imagined.

6 Vasco da Gama Birth: 1460 Death: 1524 Nationality: Portuguese Birthplace: Portugal Early Life Vasco da Gama s birthdate and birthplace is unknown. It is believed he was born between 1460 and 1469 in Sines, Portugal. Vasco attended school where he learned mathematics and studied principles of navigation. By the age of twenty, he was the captain of a ship. These skills would make him an acceptable choice to lead an expedition to India. Historical background During the 15th century, spices like cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and black pepper were extremely valuable. These spices were used for flavouring and preserving food. Spices could not be grown in Europe so people wanted to discover the quickest sea route to the Spice Islands (known today as Indonesia). In 1481, King John II of Portugal began sending expeditions to find a sea route around Africa. Many explorers made attempts. In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias sailed from Europe to the Indian Ocean, but he was forced to head back to Portugal before he could make it to India. In 1495, Vasco da Gama was selected to lead another voyage to sail around Africa to India. Principal Voyage On the 8th July 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon with a fleet of four ships with a crew of 170 men. The four ships were; the Sao Gabriel, the São Rafael, the Berrio, and an unnamed ship. On the 22 nd of November 1497, the fleet sailed around the southern tip of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope and headed north up the coast of Africa. They stopped at trading ports along the way including Mombasa and Malindi. At Malindi, a local navigator who knew the direction to India joined the crew.

7 At Calicut, Da Gama ran into issues when trying to trade because he had brought little of value with him on his voyage. This meant he couldn t exchange goods with people he met. This made the local traders suspicious so he had to leave. The voyage back was disastrous, about half of his crew died from scurvy. When he returned home, he was a hero because he had found the trade route to India. Voyage timeline July 8, 1497 Da Gama sets sail for India. March 1498 Arrived in Mozambique. Da Gama attempts an audience with the sultan, but he offers only limited gifts and the local population forces him to leave. April 1498 A local navigator joins the crew. May 20, 1498 Arrived in India. The crew remains for three months, but the local traders refuse to trade with them. August 1498 Departs India for Portugal. They are caught in a storm and several crewmembers die of scurvy. Da Gama is forced to reduce his fleet by burning one of his ships. July 10, 1499 Arrived in Portugal. Only 54 of his original 170 crew members survive. Later Years and Death After he had returned from his voyage he married and had six sons. In 1524, Vasco da Gama was sent to India and got very sick. Vasco da Gama died on December 24, 1524 in Cochin, India. Legacy Vasco De Gama was the first European to find an ocean trading route to India. He accomplished what many explorers before him could not do. His discovery of this sea route helped the Portuguese establish a long-lasting colonial empire in Asia and Africa. Vasco da Gama opened a new world of riches by opening up an Indian Ocean route. His voyage and explorations helped change the world for Europeans.