Social Studies

Snorri Thorfinnsson

First recorded birth of a white child in North America.

Christopher Columbus

Discovered America in October 1492.

João Vaz Corte-Real

Gave Portugal a claim to the Americas before the Line of Demarcation was established.

Pedro Álvares Cabral

Landed on the shores of Brazil and claimed it for Portugal.

Amerigo Vespucci

First European known to explore part of South America and call it the "New World."

Juan Ponce de León

Discovered Florida while searching for the "Fountain of Youth."

Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Called the Pacific Ocean the "South Sea."

Montezuma II

Aztec emperor during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

Ferdinand Magellan

Leader of the expedition in which one of the ships was the first to sail completely around the world.

Atahualpa

Inca ruler taken hostage by Spanish explorers in 1531.

Francisco Pizarro

Conquered the Inca Empire through greed and deceit.

Hernando de Soto

Discovered the mighty Mississippi River.

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado

Explored the territories that are now Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.

King John III

Appointed seven men, known as the "Donatarios of Brazil," to administer the colony of Brazil.

Jacques Cartier

Discovered and sailed up the St. Lawrence River.

Jacques Marquette

Along with Louis Jolliet, thought the Mississippi River might be the long-sought-for Northwest Passage.

Sieur de La Salle

Called the huge region he claimed for France "Louisiana."

Leif Ericson

Norse explorer who converted to Christianity in Greenland around A.D. 1000 and was commissioned by the king of Norway to introduce Christianity to Greenland.

Thorvald Ericson

Brother of Leif Ericson who died during his expedition to Vinland the Good.

Thorfinn Karlsefni

An Icelander who set sail from Greenland for North America in 1010.

Martin Waldseemüller

Mapmaker who labeled the New World Amerigo's Land on his maps, which was later shortened to "America."

Hernando Cortés

Spanish conqueror who broke down Aztec resistance and accomplished the conquest of Mexico.

Giovanni da Verrazano

Explorer who searched the North American coast for a northwest passage to Asia and established French claims to the New World.