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British navigator James Cook discovered and charted New Zealand and Australia's Great Barrier Reef on his ship HMB Endeavour, and later disproved the existence of the fabled southern continent Terra Australis. His voyages provided the first accurate map of the Pacific.

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Died:

December 19, 1741, Bering Island, near the Kamchatka Peninsula (aged 60)

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Vitus Bering (born 1681, Horsens, Denmark-died December 19, 1741, Bering Island, near the Kamchatka Peninsula) was a navigator whose exploration of the Bering Strait and Alaska prepared the way for a Russian foothold on the North American continent.

After a voyage to the East Indies, Bering joined the fleet of Tsar Peter I the Great as a sublieutenant. In 1724 the tsar appointed him leader of an expedition to determine whether Asia and North America were connected by land, because Russia was interested both in colonial expansion in North America and in finding a northeast passage-i.e., a sea route to China around Siberia. (In 1648 a Russian, Semyon Dezhnyov, had sailed through the Bering Strait, but his report went unnoticed until 1736.) On July 13, 1728, Bering set sail from the Siberian peninsula of Kamchatka and in August passed through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean. Bad weather prevented thorough observation, and, though he did not sight the North American coast, he concluded that Siberia and America were not joined.

During the reign of Empress Anna, Bering sought to undertake a second expedition. His simple plan, however, was expanded into Russia's Great Northern Expedition (1733-43), which mapped much of the Arctic coast of Siberia. On June 4, 1741, Bering sailed from Kamchatka in the St. Peter, joined by Aleksey Chirikov commanding the St. Paul. A storm later separated the ships, and Chirikov went on to discover several Aleutian Islands independently. Bering sailed into the Gulf of Alaska on August 20. Anxious to get his ship back to safety, he was able to reconnoitre only the southwestern coast, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Islands. Suffering from scurvy, he was unable to maintain effective command, and the ship was wrecked early in November on the shore of Bering Island, near Kamchatka. After his death there, a few survivors were able to reach Siberia and brought news of excellent fur-trading possibilities in the Aleutians and Alaska.

Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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Vitus Bering | Explorer of Alaska, Siberia & Kamchatka

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Vitus Bering was a navigator whose exploration of the Bering Strait and Alaska prepared the way for a Russian foothold on the North American continent. After a voyage to the East Indies, Bering joined the fleet of Tsar Peter I the Great as a sublieutenant.

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Age of Discovery Archives - Ages of Exploration

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Abel Janszoon Tasman's explorations across the Indian Ocean and into the South Pacific helped him become the first European to discover Tasmania, and confirm Australia as an island continent.

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Biography >>Explorers for Kids

Captain James Cook

Occupation: Explorer

Born: October 27, 1728 in Marton, England

Died: Killed by natives at the Hawaiian Islands on February 14, 1779

Best known for: Exploring the South Pacific

Biography:

James Cook was a British navigator and explorer who sailed and mapped much of theSouth Pacific.

Where did Captain Cook grow up?

James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in Marton,England. His father was a farmer, but as James grew older he began to feel the lure of the sea. At around the age of 18 he took an apprenticeship as a merchant seaman. Although he did well and was advancing in the merchant navy, Cook decided to enlist in the Royal Navy at the start of the Seven Years War.

It was during the Seven Years War that James became a master at map making. His ability at surveying, navigating, and creating large accurate maps was noticed by those high up in the Navy.

The Endeavour

Cook was given command of the Endeavour by England's Royal Society. The ship was a cat-collier that was typically used for carrying coal. It wasn't fast, but it was durable and could carry a lot of supplies.

Captain Cook introduced some rigid and innovative rules in order to keep his crew healthy and safe. He required his men to bathe every day, the ship to be kept very clean, and the bedding to be aired twice a week. He also brought lots of fresh fruit to keep his men from getting scurvy. These rules and planning helped his men to stay healthy throughout the long voyages ahead.

First Expedition

Cook set off for his first journey on August 26, 1768. His main objective was to observe the planetVenus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun. This would help astronomers to calculate the distance of the Sun from the Earth. He also hoped to find the fabled southern continent.

Routes of Captain James Cook through the South Pacific
The first voyage is in red, the second in green, and the third in blue.
By Andre Engels
Click to see a larger view

During this trip he visited Tahiti (where he made the observations of Venus), the Society Islands, and New Zealand. He mapped much of the two main islands of New Zealand, but also ended up fighting with the local Maori tribe.

Next stop on the journey was the east coast ofAustralia. Here James and his crew found all sorts of interesting animals and plants including the kangaroo. Unfortunately, the ship was damaged on some coral and they had to stop for a while to do repairs. Many of the crew got malaria from mosquitoes during this stop and over 30 of the crew died from the disease.

Finally they returned home in July of 1771, nearly three years after their departure.

Click here to see an animated route ofCook's first voyage.

Second Expedition

Captain Cook's second expedition took place from 1772-1775. This time he took two ships, the Adventure and the Resolution. His goal was to either discover the southern continent or prove that it didn't exist. He went below 70 degrees latitude. This was the furthest south any European had explored. He also visited Easter Island.

Click here to see an animated route ofCook's second voyage.

Final Journey

Cook's final expedition lasted from 1776 to 1779. The goal of this journey was to find a northwest passage across North America to Asia. He searched the coast of Alaska to no avail. He did find theHawaiian Islands, however (they were named the Sandwich Islands at the time).

At first Captain Cook and his men got along well with the natives of the Hawaiian Islands. However, things went bad when the natives stole a sailboat. Cook tried to kidnap the chief to hold him as ransom for the boat. In the attempt a fight broke out and he was killed by the natives.

Cook's ship the Resolution
by John Murray

Fun Facts about Captain Cook

The first European to set foot on Australia's east coast was Cook's nephew Isaac Smith.

The Endeavour also had scientists aboard including botanist Joseph Banks. They collected and recorded numerous plants and animals throughout their journey.

Tahiti was so nice and the natives so friendly that some of Cook's crew wanted to stay.

The Maori warriors in New Zealand wore tattoos on their faces. Some of the Endeavour's sailors got tattoos on their arms and started a tradition that continues today.

As Cook was exploring during the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin wrote to the captains of America's warships telling them to not attack or harass Cook's ships.

Activities

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Biography for Kids >> Explorers for Kids

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Kids learn about the biography and life of British explorer Captain James Cook. He discovered much of the South Pacific for England.

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