1. Christopher Columbus
1.1. Italian explorer, navigator, and colonizer.
1.1.1. completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, found the Americas (1492)
1.1.1.1. Led the expansion and pioneering to the Americas
2. Prince Henry
2.1. Not really an explores but funded the exploration
2.1.1. discovered Madeira and Azores islands in 1415
2.1.1.1. believed in the expansion of Christianity and converting people
2.1.1.1.1. mapped out countries with cartographer
3. Vasco Da Gama
3.1. Portuguese navigator from 1497
3.1.1. led four ships around the cape of Good Hope
3.1.1.1. Had a very long trip leading to a lot of disease and deaths
3.1.1.1.1. a very profitable trip ending with lots of wealth and power
4. Ferdinand Magellan
4.1. on September 20, 1519 set out from Spain with 5 ships to find a new way to reach the pacific
4.1.1. found the Strait of Magellan ( at the tip of of South America)
4.1.1.1. died on the trip
4.1.1.1.1. first people to reach around the world and come back, fueled many more explorations and explorers
5. Sir Francis Drake
5.1. carried the second trip around the world in 1577
5.1.1. first to actually complete the voyage as a captain
5.1.1.1. the spanish named him as a pirate
5.1.1.1.1. he claimed what is now California s to increase trade with Spain