Amerigo Vespucci: Vespucci was an Italian explorer and cartographer who participated in several voyages to the Americas. He was the first to realize that the lands discovered by Columbus were not part of Asia, but a separate continent. His name was eventually used to name the American continents.
John Cabot: Cabot was an Italian explorer who sailed under the English flag. In 1497, he reached North America and claimed the land for England. He is credited with being the first European to reach the North American mainland since the Norse explorations of the 10th and 11th centuries.
Vasco da Gama: Da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who made the first direct sea voyage from Europe to India in 1498. His voyage opened up a new trade route between Europe and Asia and paved the way for further Portuguese exploration of the East.
Ferdinand Magellan: Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who led the first circumnavigation of the world. He set out from Spain in 1519 with five ships and eventually reached the Philippines, where he was killed in a battle with the native people. However, his expedition continued and successfully completed the first circumnavigation in 1522.
Samuel de Champlain: Champlain was a French explorer and cartographer who founded Quebec in 1608. He made several expeditions to North America and played a key role in the exploration and colonization of Canada.
Henry Hudson: Hudson was an English explorer who made several voyages to North America in search of a Northwest Passage to Asia. He explored the Hudson River and Hudson Bay, which are both named after him.