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Ponce De Leon was lived from 1474- July of 1521
He was born in Santervas de Campos, Spain.
His reasons for sailing were to find gold and become a rich, famous, celebrity.
Ponce discovered gold in Puerto Rico and discovered Florida for the Spanish government.
Ponce De Leon served in the Spanish military, became the first governor of Puerto Rico, he was killed by a wound from a battle with the Florida natives.

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He was born on November 9, 1451, Genoa, Italy He died on May 20, 1506, Valladolid, Spain He explored the Americas. The explorer Christopher Columbus made four trips across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502. He was determined to find a direct water route west from Europe to Asia, but he never did. Instead, he accidentally stumbled upon the Americas. He was actually named Cristoforo Colombo Some historians claim Columbus was a Portuguese double agent working for King John II, whose objective was to distract Spain from his monopoly of African gold trade and the soon-to-be-opened sea route around Africa to India. No painter ever captured Columbus on canvas. Paintings depicting Columbus are works of fiction

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Born: December 31, 1491, Saint Malo, France.
Died: 1557, kingdom of France.
He explored for France.
He crossed the Atlantic ocean in twenty days.
He married Catherine Des Granches in May 1520, but they had no children.
His second expedition across the Atlantic Ocean consists of three ships and 110 men.
In 1534 the king of France commissioned Jacques Cartier to "discover certain islands and lands where it is said there is a large amount of gold and other riches to be found"

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1371-1433
Zheng He was born in the Kunyang Subdistrict, making seven voyages to Southeast Asia, India and Africa for trade and exploration. In 1405 he had made his first voyage to India and Vietnam, making several more before ending with his seventh one in 1431 to Calicut. His main objective was to establish trade relationships within Arabia, Africa, Southeast Asia and India. It is rumored that he had discovered Australia first before Cook came along.
1) Zheng He had brought exotic animals back to China such as a Giraffe, where the emperor accepted it as a unicorn.
2) He was captured as a child and forced to become a soldier
3) After his death, all of his ships and treasure fleet was mysteriously destroyed.

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Born- c.a. 1540
Died- January 17, 1596
Born in Tavistock, Devon, England
Explored for England
Explored from 1577 to 1580.
Purpose of the exploration was to circumnavigate the world.
Discovered Elizabeth Island.
Interesting Facts:
1. He is the eldest of 12 siblings.
2. His first wife died 12 years after marriage.
3. Drake died of dysentery.

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Robert La Salle was born on  November 22, 1643. In Rouen, France. He died on
March 19, 1687. He explored for France. He explored in the years 1666-1682. his purpose for sailing was
sent by King Louis XIV to travel from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi river. He discovered the Mississippi River connecting from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Some interesting facts: 1) He sailed down the Mississippi in Canoes.
2) His crew killed him because they were fed up with him.

3) Originally they believed that the Mississippi river was connected to China but then realized it was connected to the Gulf of Mexico.

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Born: 975 A.D
Died: 1020 A.D
Country of Birth: Iceland

Leif Erikson was an independent ship owner who explored for the country of Greenland, under Erik the Red. He is believed to have explored from 1000 A.D, in which he discovered Vinland. He was employed by King Olaf Tryggvason to assist in the spread of Christianity. On his travel back to Greenland, he strayed off course and ended up landing on a piece of land in Canada naming it Vinland, also known as present day Nova Scotia.

Interesting Facts:

1) His name "Leif Erikson" is not his real name, in Icelandic his name is actually "Leifur Erikkson"

2) Leif Erikson was actually the first person to land on North America, not Christopher Columbus

3) Erikson's family was believed to be wild and cool, his dad, Erik the Red, was a Viking explorer who ruled Greenland and threw wild parties.

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1467-1520
Pedro was born around 1647 CE in Portugal and died 1520 CE.
He explored for Portugal as well.
Explored from 1499 to 1501.
His purpose for sailing was to find trading ports and a new trading route.
He discovered Brazil.
Interesting facts:
1) Originally named Brazil "Vera Cruz."
2)Fought with Muslim traders in India and retaliated by burning their ships.
3)Married Dona Isabel de Castro, a decendant of royal blood.

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Vasco Da Gama was born in 1460 in Sines, Portugal and died on December 24, 1524 in Kachi, India. He explored for his home country of Portugal from 1497-1503. His purpose was to find a sailing route from Europe to India and the East . He discovered an ocean route from Portugal to India and the East. One of three interesting facts is that he was born into a noble family where his father was a commander of a fortress in Sines. The second was that he slaughtered several hundreds of people including women and children in Mecca on his second voyage to India because they didn't want him to be there. The third and final was that he was named Vidigueira, advising on Indian matters, by King Manuel of Portugal in 1519.

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1450-1500
Born in Genoa, Italy. He explored for England. He explored from 1480 to around 1497. He led exploration in the North American mainlands, his expeditions proved the existence of a shorter route across the northern Atlantic Ocean.
1. Cabot departed on a second expedition in mid-1498, but is thought to have perished in a shipwreck en route.
2. Like Columbus, Cabot believed that he had reached Asia’s northeast coast, and returned to Bristol in August 1497 with extremely favorable reports of the exploration.
3. is expeditions proved the existence of a shorter route across the northern Atlantic Ocean, which would later facilitate the establishment of other British colonies in North America.

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Born: 1510
Died: September 22, 1554
Born in: Salamanca,  Spain
Explored for: New Spain
Years explored : 1540-1542
Purpose for exploration: Find the 7 Golden Cities of Cibola.
What he discovered: Grand Canyon and other physical features
3 Interesting Facts:
1) One of the first European explorers to visit the American West
2)Had a wife and 8 children
3)Find the 7 Golden Cities of Cibola.

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Born: March 13, 1499
Died: January 3, 1543
He explored the West Coast of North Africa on behalf of the Spanish Empire. He was also the first European to explore present-day coast of California. He was one of the richest conquistadors in Mexico because of his success of the gold mining in Guatemala. He recorded many Chumashan villages names from the Californian area and adjacent islands. The official notary reports of Cabrillo's expeditions were lost and there are no printed logs the only information left is the ships logs from his voyage. One interesting fact is that many California streets and parks are named after him and his voyages. He married Beatriz Sanchez de Ortega in Seville a hiatus in Span. She returned to Guatemala and bore him two sons. The tribes of Americas gave his men slaves to help on his voyages. There is a Civic Organization of Portuguese-American people primarily in California called the Cabrillo club. Also a navy warship called the SS Cabrillo a wooden steamer launched in 1914 to serve as a ferry across the SAN Pedro channel and was later used to transport troops

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Born: March 9, 1451
Died: February 22, 1522
Born in: Florence, Italy.
Explored for: Spain
Years explored: 1497-1507
Purpose for exploring: Guido Antonio Vespucci was the cause that Amerigo Vespucci started exploring because Guido sent Amerigo on his first journey which awakened Amerigo's fascination with travel and exploration.
Vespucci discovered Venezuela a year before Christopher Columbus did and he also discovered present day Rio de janeiro and Rio de la plata .
Interesting Facts: Amerigo worked as a banker in Spain. The travels of Christopher Columbus also inspired Amerigo to travel. and before Amerigo started traveling, he was already 40 years old.

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Born: 1476 in Trujillo Spain
Died: June 26, 1541 in Lima Peru
Pizarro explored and obtained land and wealth for Spain. He explored from 1513-1537. Fransiscos purpose for exploring was to make his own discoveries and own fortune for himself and Spain. He become known for exploring the Pacific Ocean along with Vasco Nūñez de Balboa and also conquering the Inca empire along with killing their king.After conquering Peru he founded its capital,Lima.
- he didn't recieve any education as a child and grew up illiterate
- he explored with 3 of his half brothers
- he double-crossed  an explorer and was assassinated by his the enemy's son

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Born: 1485 Greve in Chianti, Italy
Died: 1528
He explored for France from 1522 to 1528. His purpose for exploring the east coast on North America was to find a route to the Pacific Ocean. Verrazzano discovered the New York Harbor.
Three Interesting Facts:
1) The longest suspension bridge in the world is named after him.
2) He was the first European to set foot in New York Bay
3) He was killed and eaten by a group of cannibals in the Lower Antilles.

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Born 1490, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
Died 1557
He explored for spain
He explored from 1528 to 1537
His propose for exploring was so Spain could claim territory from Florida to Mexico.
He discovered the wonders of America
3 interesting facts
1. when Alver Nunez cabeza de vaca got back from his voyage he was outraged by how the Spanish was treating the American Indians.
2. He was appointed governor of Paraguay, Brazil.
3. He named Galveston island, island of misfortune.

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JuBorn: September 15,1254 Died: January 8,1324
Born in: Venice, Italy
Explored for: He was a Venetian merchant that explored for Italy.
Years of Exploring: 1271-1295
Purpose for Exploring: Young Polo had enjoyed the sense of adventure and the curiosity to gain knowledge of a unknown area. He also enjoyed the aspect of culture diversity and the unique smells to places of his travels. Polo, along with his brother were requested by the Mongol Emperor, Genghis Khan to bring holy water and 100 trained priest because of his interest in Christianity. Polo will later rise in the ranks of the Mongol Empire by impressing Khan will his ability to learn and adapt.
Discovers: He did not make any significantly known discovers, though he did travel far East and learned about the Silk Road and various things of the cultural customs in China.
Interesting Fact(3):
1. Marco Polo mistaken animals he saw as mythical creatures
2. Marco Polo's famous book was written while in prison
3. He believed in sorcery and evil spirits

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He was born around 1565-1570 in England and died around 1611. He sailed and explored the oceans trying to find a path connecting China and Europe. He and four explorations, the first started in 1607 and his last was in 1610. He was exploring for his home England and for himself, it was his life's goal to find this connecting path. He discovered the Hudson Bay and helped discover Canada although he never actually accomplished his goal. An interesting
fact about Henry Hudson is that whenever he was exploring the bay with his men they wanted to start heading home,but he did not. Henry's men threw him and his sons into a small wooden boat and they were never heard from again. Also, no one knows when they died and they just assume they died shortly after they were left on a small boat in the winter. Finally he has more water areas named after him than anyone in history.

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1492-1584
Born in Medina del Campo, Spain
He explored for Spain.

He explored from 1520-1584.
He explored in search of treasure, fortune, new land, and conquering the Aztec Empire.
He discovered and learned about the diverse cultures of the native people living in a territory named New Spain.  For example, he discovered this political rivals, their human sacrifices, idolization, and cannibalism. He examined the Aztecs beautiful gardens, palaces, and markets in which he shared his knowledge of this to his king in a series of letters that were sent back to Spain.
1) He wrote his book because he was upset about the book "Conquest of Mexico" as it focused more on his leader instead of the soldiers that did most of the work.
2) He became a respected citizen, municipal officer, and a father of progeny in New Spain.
3) His book, "The True History of the Conquest of New Spain," was not published until several years after his death.

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Afonso was born in the year 1453. He died in December 16th, 1515. He was born in Alhandra, Kingdom of Portugal. He explored for the Kingdom of Portugal. He sailed in 1503 and 1506 to India, 1512 to the Maluku islands. He sailed for the purpose of developing trade and create allies for Portugal. He founded the Portuguese Empire in Asia and captured many Asian cities. Three fun facts are: The king was convinced by enemies to relieve Afonso de Albuquerque of his duties, so he wrote a letter to the king insuring the king of his loyalty but died before it was sent. There is a mango named after him called Alphonso mangos. He made his men marry the widows of his victims.