Famous Explorers: Who am I?

I discovered a sea route from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean and put Portugal on the path of becoming a major world power. My crew sailed around the coast of West Africa, reaching the southern tip of the continent. Who am I?

• Bartolomeu Dias

• Vasco Da Gama

• Hernan Cortes

• Ferdinand Magellan

I was a Portuguese navigator whose explorations around the Cape of Good Hope to India helped establish a sea route from Western Europe to the East. My crew and I reached Calicut, India, in 1498 and made two more trips to establish trading posts for Portugal. Who am I?

• Vasco da Gama

• Christopher Columbus

• John Cabot

• Amerigo Vespucci

I commanded three ships-- the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa María--during my first expedition in 1492. I failed to reach India, but I made landfall in the Caribbean, a region in the Americas, which were previously unknown to Europeans. Who am I?

• John Cabot

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Christopher Columbus

• Francisco Pizarro

I was convinced that the world was round and that a Northwest Passage to Asia existed. I landed in or near Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I believed it to be Asia and thought I had found the northwest passage. I later died at sea on my third voyage. Who am I?

• Vasco da Gama

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Hernan Cortes

• John Cabot

I explored the north coast of South America and the mouth of the Amazon River. I was the discoverer of a new continent (which was South America) and the land was later named “America” after me. Who am I?

• Amerigo Vespucci

• Bartolomeu Dias

• Hernan Cortes

• Francisco Pizarro

My crew's legacy is that it was the first to circumnavigate the globe. Although I did not survive the 3-year voyage, my crew's expedition uncovered vital information about the Pacific Ocean and confirmed that the Earth is a sphere. Who am I?

• Ferdinand Magellan

• Vasco da Gama

• Christopher Columbus

• Francisco Pizarro

In 1518, I set sail and landed in what is today known as Mexico. My soldiers spent nearly two years plundering the Aztec Empire while the Aztec resisted my rule. In 1521, the Spanish forces destroyed Tenochtitlan and built a capital, called Mexico City, on its ruins. Who am I?

• Francisco Pizarro

• John Cabot

• Amerigo Vespucci

• Hernan Cortes

In the 1520s, I took two expeditions south toward the Incan Empire, centered in what is now Peru. These expeditions provided me with proof of Inca riches, including sculptures and vases of solid gold.

• Francisco Pizarro

• Hernan Cortes

• Christopher Columbus

• Ferdinand Magellan