List of explorers

From Freepedia

Expedition redirects here. See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. Also, see International Space Station for ISS explorers, and for the Ford Motor Company's large SUV, see Ford Expedition (especially replacing the Ford Excursion). For the science-fiction book, see Expedition (book).

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

• Antonio de Abreu (16th century Portuguese explorer of Indonesia)
• Charles Albanel (1616-1696), Canada
• Afonso de Albuquerque (16th century Portuguese naval explorer and viceroy of India)
• Pêro de Alenquer (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Benedict Allen, (1960-), modern day British explorer
• Diego de Almagro
• Francisco de Almeida (16th century Portuguese naval explorer and viceroy of India)
• Pedro de Alvarado
• Francisco Alvarez (16th century Portuguese missionary and explorer in Ethiopia)
• Jorge Álvares (16th century Portuguese, the first to reach China)
• Roald Amundsen, (1872-1928), Norwegian, first at the South Pole, first to navigate the Northwest Passage in a single ship
• Fernão Pires de Andrade (16th century Portuguese merchant in China)
• Salomon August Andrée (1854 – 1897) Swedish, Arctic explorer
• Roy Chapman Andrews, (1884-1960), US explorer
• Diogo de Azambuja (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)

B

• George Back, (1796—1878), British naval officer, several expeditions to the Canadian Arctic
• William Baffin, (1584-1622)
• Samuel Baker, Africa
• Vasco Núñez de Balboa, (c. 1475-1519), Spanish, first to sight the Pacific Ocean, founded Darién, oldest surviving European settlement in the South American continent.
• Pêro de Barcelos (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
• Willem Barents, (1550?-1597), Dutch, died on Novaya Zemlya Northeast Passage
• Heinrich Barth (1821-1865), Northern and Central Africa
• Robert Bartlett (1875-1946), notable Arctic explorer
• George Bass - Australian explorer
• Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta, (1304?-1377?), Moroccan Berber Muslim, visited Mecca several times, travelled to Central Asia, East Africa, China, Tombouctou and other places
• Nicolas Baudin - 18th century French explorer, mapped the West Australian coastline.
• Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian explorer
• Joseph René Bellot French Arctic explorer
• Moric Benovsky, Slovak
• Vitus Bering
• Vittorio Bottego (1860,1897), Italian explorer of the Giuba region in northeast Africa
• Pierre Savorgan de Brazza Italian explorer naturalized French. French Congo's founder.
• Saint Brendan - Irish abbot who sailed the Atlantic Ocean
• James Bruce
• William S. Bruce, (1867-1921) Scottish explorer of Antarctica
• Cornelis de Bruijn, (1652-1727), Dutch traveler and artist
• Lafayette Bunnell, (1824-1903), described Yosemite Valley
• Richard Francis Burton, (1821-1890), looking for the source of the Nile, discovered Lake Tanganyika
• Richard E. Byrd, (1888-1957), flew over South Pole

C

• John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), (c. 1450 – 1499), Italian navigator in English service, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to North America
• Pedro Álvares Cabral, (c. 1467-c. 1520), Portuguese navigator, discovered Brazil and Madagascar
• João Rodrigues Cabrilho (16th century Portuguese discoverer of California)
• Alvise Cadamosto (1432-1488), Portuguese explorer of Venetian origin
• Alvaro Caminha (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• Pêro Vaz de Caminha (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
• Diogo Cão, (15th century), Portuguese navigator, explored the area around the West African coast
• Jan Carstensz, (c.1595—?), Dutch explorer of New Guinea coast, navigated the Gulf of Carpentaria in 1623
• Jacques Cartier, (1491-1557), discovered the St. Lawrence River and sailed up it to Montreal; failed in an attempt to set up a colony
• Thomas Cavendish, (died 1592), English sailor and explorer.
• Samuel de Champlain, (c. 1567-1635), established the French colony in Canada; discovered the Great Lakes
• William Clark, (1770-1838), with Meriwether Lewis led the first American expedition to reach the west coast.
• Gonçalo Coelho (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of the South American coast)
• Nicolau Coelho (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
• Christopher Columbus, (1451-1506), reached America looking for a searoute to the Indies; discovered various lands and islands and established a colony on Hispaniola
• Niccolò Da Conti, (1395–1469), Venetian explorer of South and Southeast Asia
• James Cook, (1728-1779), explored the Pacific, discovering or mapping many lands and islands
• Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, (c. 1510-1554), explored New Mexico and American southwest
• João Vaz Corte-Real (15th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
• Gaspar Corte-Real (16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
• Miguel Corte-Real (16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
• Hernán Cortés, (1485-1547), conquered the Aztec empire in Mexico; sent out expeditions to Baja California
• Juan de la Cosa
• Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (1910-1997), French marine biologist and explorer
• Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral (20th century Portuguese air pioneers, the first to cross the South Atlantic Ocean by air)
• Pero da Covilhã (15th century/16th century Portuguese diplomat and explorer in Ethiopia)
• Tristão da Cunha (16th century Portuguese naval general and discoverer)

D

• Alexandra David-Néel, (1868-1969), French explorer, visited Lhasa, Tibet in 1924
• Semyon Dezhnev, Russian explorer, first European who sailed through Bering Strait
• Bartolomeu Dias, (1450-1500), Portuguese explorer who first rounded the Cape of Good Hope
• Dinis Dias, 15th century Portuguese explorer, first European to reach Cape Verde
• Diogo Dias (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands, of the African coast and the Indian Ocean, discovered Madagascar)
• Pêro Dias (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Bernal Díaz del Castillo
• David Douglas, Scottish explorer, botanist
• Sir Francis Drake, (c. 1540-1596), pirate, leader of the second circumnavigation
• Jules Dumont d'Urville, (1790-1842), explorer of the Pacific and Antarctica

E

• Gil Eanes (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Juan Sebastián Elcano - completed the first circumnavigation, started by Magellan
• Eric the Red, (c.950-1003), explored and colonized Greenland
• Leif Ericson, (born 970), attempted to colonize Vinland, discovered America
• Pedro Escobar (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• George Everest, (1790-1866)

F

• Edmund Fanning, (1769-1841), "Pathfinder of the Pacific", discoverer of numerous South Pacific islands
• António Fernandes (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Baltazar Fernandes (17th century Portuguese explorer of Brazil's interior)
• Duarte Fernandes (16th century Portuguese diplomat in Thailand)
• Matthew Flinders, (1774-1814), first to circumnavigate Australia and Tasmania, extensively charted the coastline and named such features as the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Australian Bight.
• Alexander Forbes, Scottish explorer of North American Pacific coast
• John Franklin, (1786-1847), disappeared exploring Arctic Canada in search of the Northwest Passage
• John C. Fremont, (1813-1890), "Pathfinder of the West" explored the Oregon Trail and the Sierra Nevada, first Republican nominee for President of the United States
• Louis de Freycinet, (1779-1842), explored coastal regions of Western Australia

G

• Alfons Gabriel, (1892-1976) Austrian explorer of the Iranian deserts.
• Yuri Gagarin first man in Space and Cosmonaut
• Juan Galindo (1802-1839) explorer of Central American ruins
• Estevão da Gama (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Indian Ocean)
• Paulo da Gama (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to India)
• Vasco da Gama, (1469?-1524), Portuguese navigator, first to reach India from Europe by sea route in 1498
• Thomas Gann, explorer
• Francis Garnier, (1839-1873), Mekong River
• Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye, (1685-1749), explorer
• Romolo Gessi ( (1831, 1881)), Italian explorer of the Nile and of Sudan
• Ernest Giles, (1835-1897), explorer of central Australia
• André Gonçalves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
• Antão Gonçalves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the West African coast)
• Lopes Gonçalves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic)
• James Augustus Grant, (1827-1892), Scottish officer and explorer, explored the eastern equatorial Africa
• João Grego (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Juan de Grijalva

H

• Hanno the Navigator - Carthageinian who travelled along the coast of Africa
• Hannu, ancient Egyptian explorer (around 2750 BC) and the first explorer of whom there is any knowledge
• Dirk Hartog, (1580—1621), Dutch VOC captain, charted mid-western coast of Australia
• Sven Hedin, (1865-1952), Swedish explorer of Central Asia
• Louis Hennepin - discoverer of Niagara Falls and the Saint Anthony Falls (the only waterfall on the Mississippi)
• Bjarni Herjulfsson - Viking, probable discoverer of North America
• Thor Heyerdahl, (1914-2002), Norwegian explorer
• Sir Edmund Hillary, with Tenzing Norgay was the first person to the summit of Mount Everest
• Himilco the Navigator, Carthaginian navigator
• Clement Hodgkinson - (1818-1893) Australian explorer
• Cornelis de Houtman, (1565—1599), brother to Frederick, established Dutch trading route to the Spice Islands
• Frederick de Houtman, (1571—1627), brother to Cornelis, charted several constellations in the southern skies, explored coast of Western Australia
• William Hovell - Australian explorer
• Henry Hudson, (died 1570), discovered the Hudson River and sailed up it to Albany, discovered Hudson Bay
• Alexander von Humboldt, (1769-1859), German naturalist, explored Central and South America, visited Siberia
• Hamilton Hume - Australian explorer

I

• Ibn Battuta, (1304-1377), Moroccan explorer of Africa and Asia, author of the Rihla
• Ibn Rustah, 10th century Persian explorer of Russia, Scandinavia and Arabia
• João Infante (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Helge Ingstad, (1899-2001) Norwegian-Danish explorer, Governor of Greenland

K

• Thorfinn Karlsefni, (fl 1010), Icelandic explorer
• George Kennan, (1845-1924), Siberia
• Edmund Kennedy, (1818-1848), Australian explorer
• Ferdinand Konščak, (1703-1759), Croatia, California, Mexico
• Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov (1863-1935), Mongolia and Tibet

L

• Richard Lemon Lander (1804-1834)
• Jean François La Pérouse, (1741-1788), French explorer of the Pacific
• René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, (1643-1687), French explorer of the Mississippi basin
• João Fernandes Lavrador (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
• Albert von Le Coq, (1860-1930), German explorer of Central Asia
• Miguel López de Legaspi, Spanish explorer of the Philippines and Mexico
• Ludwig Leichhardt, (1813-1848), Prussian explorer of Australia
• Gaspar de Lemos (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic and of the sea route to Brazil)
• Dragutin Lerman, (1863-1918), Croatia, (Congo, Africa)
• Meriwether Lewis, (1774-1809), leader of the first American expedition to cross the continent
• David Livingstone, (1813-1873), Scottish explorer of south and east Africa, determined the course of the Zambezi, discovered Lake Nyasa

M

• Alexander Mackenzie, (1764-1820), Scottish, Western and Northern Canada to Arctic and Pacific Oceans
• Ferdinand Magellan, (c. 1470-1521), Portuguese navigator, leader of first expedition around the world and the first European to have sailed the Pacific Ocean
• Teoberto Maler (1840-1917) Maya ruins
• Lourenço Marques (16th century Portuguese trader and explorer in East Africa)
• Álvaro Martins (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Pedro Mascarenhas (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Indian Ocean)
• Douglas Mawson - Australian explorer of Antarctica
• Hugh McNeil, Lewis and Clark Party member
• Álvaro de Mendaña
• Archibald Menzies (1754-1852)
• Thomas Mitchell - (1792-1855), Scottish explorer of Australia

N

• Fridtjof Nansen, (1861-1930), arctic explorer, scientist and international statesman
• Nehsi, ancient Egyptian explorer in service of Egyptian queen Hatshepsut
• Jean Nicolet, (1628-1642), early French explorer of the Old Northwest
• Joseph Nicollet, (1786-1843), explorer of the Upper Mississippi River and Missouri River
• Afanasiy Nikitin (the first European to visit India and to document his travels)
• António Noli (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands and of the African coast)
• Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, (1832-1901), arctic explorer
• Fernão de Noronha (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic)
• João da Nova (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic and of the Indian Ocean)
• Paulo Dias de Novais (16th century Portuguese explorer and colonizer of Africa)
• Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

O

• Francisco de Orellana - first to navigate down the Amazon River
• John Oxley - Australian explorer

P

• Mungo Park (1771-1806), Scottish explorer of Western Equatorial Africa
• William Parry, (1790-1855), Arctic explorer
• Robert Edwin Peary, (1856-1920), notable Arctic explorer and leader of expedition usually credited as being first to reach the North Pole, actual attainment disputed in some quarters
• Paul Pelliot, French explorer of Central Asia
• Duarte Pacheco Pereira (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic)
• Bartolomeu Perestrelo (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• Auguste Piccard, (1884-1962), physicist and explorer
• Jacques Piccard, (born 1922), undersea explorer
• Zebulon Pike, (1779-1813), explored Louisiana Purchase, Pikes Peak
• Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, (1494?-1519?)
• Serpa Pinto (19th century Portuguese explorer and soldier in Africa)
• Fernão Mendes Pinto (16th century Portuguese explorer and adventurer, was among the first Europeans to reach Japan)
• Martin Alonzo Pinzón (1441?-1493)
• Vicente Yáñez Pinzón (1460? - after 1523)
• Luís Pires (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
• Francisco Pizarro, (1471-1541), conqueror of the Inca Empire
• Fernão do Pó (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• Marco Polo, (1254-1323), Venetian Republic, travelled to China in the 13th century
• Peter Pond, (c. 1739 - 1807), Northwest Canada
• Gaspar de Portolà (fl. 1734-1784), explored California
• John Wesley Powell, (1834-1902), explorer, environmentalist
• Nikolai Przhevalsky, (1839-1888), Russian explorer in central and eastern Asia
• Nathaniel Pryor, (c. 1785-1850), US explorer
• Pytheas, Greek explorer who visited Britain and other north and northwest European countries

Q

• Pedro Fernandes de Queiroz (1565-1614), Portuguese seaman and explorer of the southwest Pacific, some have claimed he discovered Australia

R

• John Rae, (1813-1893), travelled widely through the Canadian Arctic
• Walter Raleigh, (1554?-1618), English explorer
• Diogo Rodrigues (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Indian Ocean)
• Cândido Rondon, (1865-1958), Explored the Amazon Basin with Teddy Roosevelt
• James Clark Ross, (1800-1862), Scottish explorer

S

• René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, (1643-1687) French merchant and explorer, explored Great Lakes, navigated Mississippi and looked for its delta
• João de Santarém (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
• Robert Falcon Scott, (1868-1912), reached the South Pole less than one month after Amundsen, but died on the return voyage
• Scylax of Caryanda - a Greek explorer sent by the king of Persia to sail down the Indus River and around Arabia to Egypt
• Tibor Sekelj Croatia, South America
• Mirko Seljan (1821-1912?(3)), Croatia,( Ethiopia, South America)
• Stjepan Seljan (1873-1936), Croatia, (Ethiopia, South America)
• Ernest Shackleton, (1874-1922), attempted to reach the South Pole and went further south than anyone before him
• Eric Shipton, (1907-1977), explored Himalayas & Patagonian icecap with Harold William Tilman
• Diogo Silves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• Pêro de Sintra (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
• William Smith (born around 1775), discovered South Shetland Islands
• Hernando de Soto, (died 1542), explorer
• Martim Afonso de Sousa (16th century Portuguese explorer and soldier in India)
• John Hanning Speke, (1827-1864), discovered the main source of the Nile River, Lake Victoria
• William Stairs, (1863-1892), Victorian explorer, discovered one source of the Nile River, first non-African to ever climb in the Ruwenzori.
• Henry Morton Stanley, (1841-1904), successfully searched for Livingstone in Africa; later explored Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River
• Marc Aurel Stein, Hungarian explorer of Central Asia
• John Lloyd Stephens (1805-1852) explored Middle East, Central America
• Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki, (1793-1873), Polish explorer and geologist
• John McDouall Stuart (1815-1866), Scottish explorer of inland Australia
• Charles Sturt - Australian explorer
• Ignacije Szentmartony (1718-1793), Croatia (Jesuit, astronomer), Amazon River, Brazil

T

• Abel Tasman, (1603-1659), discovered Tasmania and New Zealand
• Pedro Teixeira (17th century Portuguese explorer of the Amazon river)
• Tristão Vaz Teixeira (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• Tenzing Norgay, with Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to the summit of Mount Everest
• Harold William Tilman (Bill Tilman) (1897-1977), explored Himalayas & Patagonian icecap with Eric Shipton
• Yermak Timofeyevich, Russian cossack, explored West Siberia and claimed it for Russia
• Luis Váez de Torres (16th century/17th century Portuguese explorer of southwest Pacific)
• Nuno Tristão (15th century Portuguese explorer of the West African coast)

U

• Andrés de Urdaneta, Spanish geographer who discovered the Urdaneta Route, giving so way to the Manila Galleon.

V

• George Vancouver, (1757-1798), British Royal Navy captain; explored the Pacific coast of North America, naming many locations in the Pacific Northwest.
• Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye (1685-1749), French Canadian military officer, fur trader and explorer, explored Western Canada
• Gonçalo Velho (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• Giovanni da Verrazano, (died 1528), sea explorer
• Amerigo Vespucci, (1454-1512), discovered other parts of America and gave his name to the new continents
• Ruy López de Villalobos. Spanish; explored the Pacific and the Philippines, which he named after Philip II of Spain
• Willem de Vlamingh (1640-?). Flemish/Dutch captain; in 1696 and 1697 he charted the coast of northwest Australia.

W

• Jean-Frédéric Waldeck, (1766-1875), French antiquarian, artist, explorer
• Thomas Walker, medical doctor and early explorer of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains
• Langdon Warner, American explorer of Central Asia
• Harry de Windt Explorer, adventurer and author.

Y

• Sir Francis Younghusband, (1863-1942), India and Tibet

Z

• João Gonçalves Zarco (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
• Zhang Qian - spent 12 years starting in 138 BC exploring much of Central Asia for Emperor Han Wu Di
• Zheng He, (1371-1435), Chinese admiral who travelled widely over the Indian Ocean and other seas, reaching Africa and Arabia and many other countries

Þ

• Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, female explorer of the Middle Ages