What traveler discovered a new world. The most famous travelers and their discoveries

In each era there are people who are not limited to the idea of ​​the world given to them. Their whole life is a search. It was thanks to such restless natures that America, Australia, New Zealand and many other points on the map were discovered. And the richest travelers were in Europe in the 15-16th century - the time of colonization.

Miklukho-Maclay (1846-1888)

The future traveler and ethnographer was born in St. Petersburg in the family of an engineer. He was quickly expelled from the university for participating in the student movement. So he finished his education already in Germany. From there he set out on his first trip to Canary Islands, then to Madeira, Morocco, the Red Sea coast. I went there as a fauna researcher, and returned as an ethnographer. He was more interested not in animals and flowers, but in people.

Miklouho-Maclay explored the indigenous population South-East Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. He lived for several years on the northwestern coast of New Guinea, visited the islands of Oceania. He made two expeditions to the Malay Peninsula. Studying the indigenous inhabitants of these little-explored lands, the scientist came to the conclusion about the species unity and kinship of different races. He spent the last years of his life in Indonesia and Australia and even proposed the project of the Papuan Union in New Guinea. He, according to the idea of ​​the researcher, had to resist the invaders-colonizers. One of his latest ideas - Russian artel communities in New Guinea - an ideal version of the state system.

The scientist died in his native St. Petersburg in a hospital bed, numerous expeditions by the age of 42 completely “worn out” the body. The collections and papers of Miklukho-Maclay - sixteen notebooks, six thick notebooks, plans, maps, his own drawings, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, diaries from different years - were transferred to the Imperial Russian Geographical Society and placed in the museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.

Christopher Columbus (1451 - 1506)

Christopher Columbus became a real navigator thanks to his father-in-law, the owner of one of the islands in Portugal. Studying geography, Columbus decided that the cherished India can be reached through Atlantic Ocean. Indeed, in those days, strong Turkey blocked the path to the East, and Europe needed new road in this land of spices. Only the Spanish crown agreed to sponsor Columbus, and in 1492 three caravels "Santa Maria", "Nina" and "Pinta" entered the open water. First, the ships headed for the Canary Islands, then west. Several times the crew demanded a return, but Columbus insisted on his own. As a result, they landed on the island of San Salvador (Guanahani). Then they discovered the islands of Juan (present-day Cuba) and Hispaniola (Haiti). True, the traveler was sure that they were on the coast washed by the Indian Ocean. He returned to Spain in triumph, and a squadron already consisting of 14 caravels and three merchant ships set off on a new journey.

But Columbus was not a scientist, but pursued completely selfish goals: to provide for his family and himself. And it affected him. future fate: The indigenous population rebelled. In the colonies, where acquisitiveness and greed were the main principle, even the colonizers themselves wrote complaints to Spain about Columbus and his brother. But he did his job - he opened for Europe the archipelago of the Greater Antilles, the mouth of the Orinoco River, Central America. True, until the end of his life he was sure that all this is adjacent to India.

In the measures, Columbus in illness and poverty, and even after death, did not find peace. His remains were transferred from city to city several times.

Vasco da Gama (1460 - 1524)

P the first to cross the ocean from Portugal to the East. The future discoverer grew up in a noble family in Portugal. He went on an expedition to the East instead of his traveler father, who died suddenly. In 1497, his ships left the port. Few believed in the success of the Portuguese. But he did it. Da Gama rounded the cape Good Hope and headed for India. Sailors died from scurvy and in skirmishes with Muslim merchants who flooded Africa. They saw the traveler as a competitor. And not in vain. Two years later, the Portuguese brought back ships of spices - one of the most expensive goods at that time.

The second expedition was also successful. Da Gama already had warships at his disposal to protect himself from ill-wishers.

The third expedition was the last for Vasco da Gama. He was appointed representative of the royal family in India. But he did not stay in this position for very long. In 1954 he died from a serious illness.

Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521)

Born in 1480 in northern Portugal. The first time he went to sea as part of the fleet of Admiral Francisco Almeda. Participated in several expeditions before he went on his own to look for new ways to the Malay Archipelago in Indonesia. Spain supported Magellan - she sponsored a trip across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1519, five ships reached South America. Expedition sweat and blood was given the way to the south along the coast of America. But in 1520 the strait in Pacific Ocean was found - later it will be called Magellanic. A year later, the traveler had already arrived at his destination - the Moluccas. But in the Philippine Islands, the traveler was drawn into a local war of leaders, and he was killed. The return of the rest of the crew to their homeland was not easy. Only one ship out of five and 18 people out of 200 made it.

James Cook (1728-1779)

Cooke was born into the family of an English farmhand. But he made a career from a simple cabin boy to an expedition leader. Skill, intelligence and ingenuity were quickly appreciated. The first expedition of James Cook began in 1767 on the ship Endeavor. The official version is the observation of the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun. But in fact, colonial England needed new lands. In addition, among the tasks was the study east coast Australia. During the voyage, Cook did not stop studying cartography and navigation. The result of the expedition was the information that New Zealand- it's two independent islands, and not part of an unknown mainland. The scientist also mapped the east coast of Australia, discovered the strait between Australia and New Guinea.

The results of the second expedition (1772 - 1775) became even more impressive. New Caledonia, South Georgia, Easter Island, the Marquesas Islands, Friendship Island were mapped. Cook's ship crossed the Antarctic Circle.

The third voyage took 4 years. Were investigated and some others. Exactly on Hawaiian Islands during one of the conflicts between the natives and the British, James Cook died - he was pierced with a spear in the back of the head. But evidence that the natives ate Cook has not been found.

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Travel has always attracted people, but before they were not only interesting, but also extremely difficult. The territories were not explored, and, setting off on a journey, everyone became an explorer. Which travelers are the most famous and what exactly did each of them discover?

James Cook

The famous Englishman was one of the best cartographers of the eighteenth century. He was born in the north of England and by the age of thirteen he began to work with his father. But the boy was unable to trade, so he decided to take up navigation. At that time everything famous travelers of the world went to distant countries on ships. James became interested in maritime affairs and moved up the career ladder so quickly that he was offered to become a captain. He refused and went to the Royal Navy. Already in 1757, the talented Cook began to manage the ship himself. His first achievement was the compilation of the fairway of the river. He discovered the talent of a navigator and cartographer. In the 1760s he explored Newfoundland, which attracted the attention of the Royal Society and the Admiralty. He was assigned to travel across the Pacific Ocean, where he reached the shores of New Zealand. In 1770, he did something that other famous travelers had not achieved before - he discovered a new continent. In 1771, Cook returned to England as the famous pioneer of Australia. His last journey was an expedition in search of a passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Today, even schoolchildren know the sad fate of Cook, who was killed by cannibal natives.

Christopher Columbus

Famous travelers and their discoveries have always had a significant impact on the course of history, but few have been as famous as this man. Columbus became a national hero of Spain, decisively expanding the map of the country. Christopher was born in 1451. The boy quickly achieved success because he was diligent and studied well. Already at the age of 14 he went to sea. In 1479, he met his love and began life in Portugal, but after the tragic death of his wife, he went with his son to Spain. Having received the support of the Spanish king, he went on an expedition, the purpose of which was to find a way to Asia. Three ships sailed from the coast of Spain to the west. In October 1492 they reached Bahamas. This is how America was discovered. Christopher mistakenly decided to call the locals Indians, believing that he had reached India. His report changed history: two new continents and many islands, discovered by Columbus, became the main travel destination of the colonialists in the next few centuries.

Vasco da Gama

Portugal's most famous traveler was born in Sines on September 29, 1460. From a young age, he worked in the Navy and became famous as a confident and fearless captain. In 1495, King Manuel came to power in Portugal, who dreamed of developing trade with India. For this, a sea route was needed, in search of which Vasco da Gama had to go. There were also more famous sailors and travelers in the country, but for some reason the king chose him. In 1497, four ships sailed south, rounded and sailed to Mozambique. I had to stay there for a month - half of the team had scurvy by that time. After a break, Vasco da Gama reached Calcutta. In India, he worked for three months trade relations, and a year later he returned to Portugal, where he became a national hero. The opening of the sea route, which made it possible to get to Calcutta past the east coast of Africa, was his main achievement.

Nikolay Miklukho-Maclay

Famous Russian travelers also made a lot of important discoveries. For example, the same Nikolai Mikhlukho-Maclay, who was born in 1864 in the Novgorod province. He could not graduate from St. Petersburg University, as he was expelled for participating in student demonstrations. To continue his education, Nikolai went to Germany, where he met Haeckel, a naturalist who invited Miklouho-Maclay to his scientific expedition. So the world of wanderings opened up for him. His whole life was devoted to travel and scientific work. Nicholas lived in Sicily, Australia, studied New Guinea, implementing the project of the Russian Geographical Society, visited Indonesia, the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula and Oceania. In 1886, the naturalist returned to Russia and proposed to the emperor to establish a Russian colony across the ocean. But the project with New Guinea did not receive royal support, and Miklouho-Maclay fell seriously ill and soon died, without completing his work on a travel book.

Ferdinand Magellan

Many famous navigators and travelers lived in the era of the Great Magellan is no exception. In 1480 he was born in Portugal, in the city of Sabrosa. Having gone to serve at court (at that time he was only 12 years old), he learned about the confrontation between his native country and Spain, about traveling to the East Indies and trade routes. So he first became interested in the sea. In 1505, Fernand got on a ship. Seven years after that, he plied the sea, participated in expeditions to India and Africa. In 1513, Magellan went to Morocco, where he was wounded in battle. But this did not curb the craving for travel - he planned an expedition for spices. The king rejected his request, and Magellan went to Spain, where he received all the necessary support. Thus began his world tour. Fernand thought that from the west the route to India might be shorter. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean, reached South America and discovered the strait, which would later be named after him. became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. On it, he reached the Philippines and almost reached the goal - the Moluccas, but died in battle with local tribes, wounded by a poisonous arrow. However, his journey opened up a new ocean for Europe and the realization that the planet is much larger than scientists had previously thought.

Roald Amundsen

The Norwegian was born at the very end of an era in which many famous travelers became famous. Amundsen was the last of the navigators who tried to find undiscovered lands. From childhood, he was distinguished by perseverance and self-confidence, which allowed him to conquer the South Geographic Pole. The beginning of the journey is connected with 1893, when the boy left the university and got a job as a sailor. In 1896 he became a navigator, and the following year he went on his first expedition to Antarctica. The ship was lost in the ice, the crew suffered from scurvy, but Amundsen did not give up. He took command, cured the people, remembering his medical background, and brought the ship back to Europe. After becoming a captain, in 1903 he went in search of the Northwest Passage off Canada. Famous travelers before him had never done anything like this - in two years the team covered the path from the east of the American mainland to its west. Amundsen became known to the whole world. The next expedition was a two-month trip to the South Plus, and the last venture was the search for Nobile, during which he went missing.

David Livingston

Many famous travelers are connected with seafaring. he became a land explorer, namely the African continent. The famous Scot was born in March 1813. At the age of 20, he decided to become a missionary, met Robert Moffett and wished to go to African villages. In 1841 he came to Kuruman, where he taught local residents agriculture, served as a doctor and taught literacy. There he learned the Bechuan language, which helped him in his travels in Africa. Livingston studied in detail the life and customs of the locals, wrote several books about them and went on an expedition in search of the sources of the Nile, in which he fell ill and died of a fever.

Amerigo Vespucci

The most famous travelers in the world were most often from Spain or Portugal. Amerigo Vespucci was born in Italy and became one of the famous Florentines. He received a good education and trained as a financier. From 1490 he worked in Seville, in the Medici trade mission. His life was connected with sea travel, for example, he sponsored the second expedition of Columbus. Christopher inspired him with the idea of ​​trying himself as a traveler, and already in 1499 Vespucci went to Suriname. The purpose of the voyage was to study coastline. There he opened a settlement called Venezuela - little Venice. In 1500 he returned home with 200 slaves. In 1501 and 1503 Amerigo repeated his travels, acting not only as a navigator, but also as a cartographer. He discovered the bay of Rio de Janeiro, the name of which he gave himself. Since 1505, he served the king of Castile and did not participate in campaigns, only equipped other people's expeditions.

Francis Drake

Many famous travelers and their discoveries have benefited humanity. But among them there are those who left behind a bad memory, since their names were associated with rather cruel events. An English Protestant, who had sailed on a ship from the age of twelve, was no exception. He captured local residents in the Caribbean, selling them into slavery to the Spaniards, attacked ships and fought with Catholics. Perhaps no one could equal Drake in terms of the number of captured foreign ships. His campaigns were sponsored by the Queen of England. In 1577 he went to South America to defeat the Spanish settlements. During the journey, he found Tierra del Fuego and the strait, which was later named after him. Rounding Argentina, Drake plundered the port of Valparaiso and two Spanish ships. When he reached California, he met the natives, who presented the British with gifts of tobacco and bird feathers. Drake crossed Indian Ocean and returned to Plymouth, becoming the first British citizen to visit world tour. He was admitted to the House of Commons and awarded the title of Sir. In 1595 he died in the last campaign in the Caribbean.

Afanasy Nikitin

Few famous travelers in Russia have achieved the same heights as this native of Tver. Afanasy Nikitin became the first European to visit India. He traveled to the Portuguese colonizers and wrote "Journey Beyond the Three Seas" - the most valuable literary and historical monument. The success of the expedition was ensured by the merchant's career: Athanasius knew several languages ​​and knew how to negotiate with people. On his journey, he visited Baku, lived in Persia for about two years and reached India by ship. Visiting several cities exotic country, he went to Parvat, where he stayed for a year and a half. After the province of Raichur, he headed to Russia, paving the route through the Arabian and Somali Peninsulas. However, Afanasy Nikitin never made it home, because he fell ill and died near Smolensk, but his notes survived and provided the merchant with world fame.

As a result of the Turkish conquests, the way to the countries of the East by land and further through in the 15th century becomes dangerous. There is a need to find new ways from Europe to Asia.

Causes of the Age of Discovery

And entered the struggle to open a new route from Europe to Asia. Their aspirations laid the foundation. In addition, in Europe in the 15th century, there were certain conditions for great travel.

First, there was growth major cities and trade developed rapidly. There was renewed interest in science, there was a revival of ideas about the sphericity of the Earth. Scientists began to provide evidence that it is possible to reach the coast of India in two ways - southern (around Africa) and western (through).

Secondly, European book printing developed. Such works as "The Book of the Diversity of the World" by Marco Polo about the countries of the East rich in gold, precious stones and spices became popular. Thirdly, new maps appeared that included information previously collected by Europeans and Arabs.

Expeditions of Christopher Columbus

In the second voyage, Columbus discovered a number of other islands, in the third he reached the coast of South America, in the last - the coast of Central America.

Monuments to the brave navigator have been erected in Spain, a number of Latin American countries and the United States. A country is named after him South America. "Admiral of the sea-ocean", as Columbus was called, died in poverty. Until the end of his days, he never knew that he had discovered a new continent. This became known later as a result of expeditions. It was in his honor that the lands discovered by Columbus began to be called the "country of Amerigo", and later - America.

Significance of the discovery of the New World

Thanks to the discovery of the New World, Europeans not only received gold, but also learned about previously unknown cultivated plants that quickly spread in the Old World. For the Indians, meeting new people turned out to be a tragedy. The warriors who came after the discoverers - the conquistadors took away the ashes, killed the locals, wiped out cities and destroyed temples, planting a new language and faith.