Travelers and their discoveries briefly. The most famous travelers in the world

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 went on his first trip to the 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 populations of Southeast 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. Miklukho-Maclay's collections and papers - 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 the Atlantic Ocean. Indeed, in those days, strong Turkey blocked the path to the East, and Europe needed a new road to 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 this affected his 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 of 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 to the 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 of the east coast of Australia. During the voyage, Cook did not stop studying cartography and navigation. The result of the expedition was the information that New Zealand is 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. It was on the Hawaiian Islands during one of the conflicts between the natives and the British that James Cook died - he was pierced in the back of the head with a spear. But evidence that the natives ate Cook has not been found.

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Humanity owes these brave men not only interesting information, but also scientific discoveries.

And in the times that we call "prehistoric", there were people who could not sit still, who aspired there, beyond the horizon. They set off into complete obscurity, without decent vehicles and means of protection at their disposal, thinking not of themselves, but of the great goal that they set and eventually achieved.

Hanno - 505 BC

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Carthaginian (resident of the state of Carthage, located on the territory of modern Tunisia - approx. ed.) Gannon considered the very first of all known travelers. The Carthaginian Senate equipped 60 galleys, each of which had 50 rowers. This fleet was to make a risky expedition - to reach the western coast of Africa and colonize the land. Hanno was at the head of the expedition. In total, thirty thousand people went on a trip - today they would be called settlers: their mission was to develop new lands.

Sailing across the Atlantic Ocean was then incredibly dangerous. Nevertheless, Gannon and his associates, having overcome all the obstacles on the way, reached the shores of West Africa. On one of the islands (apparently belonging to the Canary Islands group), travelers discovered many gorillas and mistook them for "wild people". Hoping to establish contact, the Carthaginians captured three "savages", but soon, due to the aggressiveness of the gorillas, they had to be killed.

On other islands, the Carthaginians entered into friendly and commercial alliances with the locals. Having reached the South Horn, the travelers realized that they risked being left without supplies - they were running out. Then Gannon decided to return home. In Carthage, in the temple of Moloch, in memory of this journey, a large marble slab was placed on which a description of the great journey was carved.

Herodotus (484 - 425 BC)

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Ancient Greek scientist - historian and geographer, Herodotus He became famous as the "father of history", as well as one of the first travelers. He compiled the first more or less accurate description of the real world for his contemporaries - based on his own observations and on the stories of other people.

To obtain the information necessary to write his most famous work - "History" - Herodotus traveled all the countries available at that time. He traveled to Greece and Egypt, Persia and Babylonia, Asia Minor and Southern Italy, the Mediterranean islands and the Crimea.

Herodotus began to travel at about 20 years old, and his goal was precisely science - he sought to collect as much information as possible about ongoing events, about the peoples who inhabited different lands. His first journey resulted in a major study of those peoples who at that time were not yet known to the Greeks. Herodotus wrote in his writings about the Greco-Persian wars, about the manners and customs of the Persians.

He was the first to describe Scythia and the peoples inhabiting this country, gave a complete description of the Ister (Danube) river, which flows through all of Europe, and Borisfen (Dnieper). In the writings of Herodotus, much attention is paid to Scythian myths - for example, about Hercules. He also writes about the Amazons - female warriors.

Later, Herodotus visited Northeast Africa, in Cyrene, and was the first in history to describe these territories. Herodotus collected very interesting information about Egypt, and modern scholars for the most part confirm the correctness of his descriptions.

Pytheas (340 BC)

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Tragedy Pythea lies in the fact that his stories about distant countries aroused distrust and ridicule among his contemporaries. But his courage deserves respect - he dared to embark on a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic on a single ship. The expedition of Pytheas was heading to the North - they hoped to find tin and amber in uncharted lands. Such an order was given to Pytheas by his fellow merchants from the city of Massilia (Marseille). Pytheas did an excellent job with the assignment, while making several important geographical discoveries.

For example, moving north, he noticed that the farther to the northern latitudes, the longer the day becomes. Thus, the relationship between the length of day and night and geographic latitude was established. In addition, he was the first to guess that the ebbs and flows are associated with the attraction of the moon. Pytheas discovered that the North Star cannot serve as an accurate guide to the north. He was able to make all these and other discoveries thanks to his travels.

Eudoxus (IIcentury BC)

Greek scientist and geographer Eudoxus He began his travels by visiting Egypt and India.

Having hired a large ship and two launches, Eudoxus sailed through the waters of the Atlantic. It is not known how far he made his way. Scholars are wary of putting too much trust in his evidence because there is no credible evidence. However, it is known for sure that by order of the pharaoh Ptolemy Eudoxus visited India, sailing there accompanied by an Indian guide. This was followed by a second trip to India - Eudoxus was sent there by the queen Cleopatra, to bring Indian incense.

Deciding to go around Africa, the brave traveler almost carried out a dizzying plan, but died at the very end of the journey.

Strabo (64/63 BC - 23/24 AD)

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Ancient Greek traveler and geographer Strabo was known for his comprehensive education. He left behind an amazing work - "Geography" in 17 volumes, which contained the most detailed and diverse information about many countries and peoples. The chapters on the Trans-Caspian lands, on Asian Scythia, and on the Caucasus are relevant and interesting even today.

Strabo traveled a lot. He repeatedly visited Egypt and compiled a detailed description of Alexandria, described the Egyptian pyramids, talked a lot about the wonders of the world.

Strabo lived a long life and died in Rome. His "Geography" is the most important and most interesting monument of ancient Greek science.

On August 18, we celebrate the birthday of the Russian Geographical Society - one of the oldest Russian public organizations, and the only one that has continuously existed since its inception in 1845.

Just think about it: neither wars, nor revolutions, nor periods of devastation, timelessness, and the collapse of the country did not stop its existence! There have always been daredevils, scientists, mad researchers who, both in prosperous and in the most difficult times, took any risk for the sake of science. And even now, at the moment, new full members of the Russian Geographical Society are on their way. "MIR 24" tells only about some of the great travelers who glorified the Russian Geographical Society.

Ivan Krusenstern (1770 - 1846)

Photo: unknown artist, 1838.

Russian navigator, admiral, one of the initiators of the creation of the Russian Geographical Society. He led the first Russian round-the-world expedition.

Even in his youth, fellow students in the Naval Cadet Corps noted the unbending, "sea" character of the future Russian admiral. His faithful colleague, friend and rival Yuri Lisyansky, who became the commander of the second ship in their legendary circumnavigation, noted that the main qualities of cadet Kruzenshtern were "reliability, commitment and lack of interest in everyday life."

It was then, during the years of study, that his dreams were born to explore distant lands and oceans. However, they did not come true soon, only in 1803. The first Russian round-the-world expedition included the ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva".
During this expedition, a new route was established to the Russian possessions in Kamchatka and Alaska. The western coast of Japan, the southern and eastern parts of Sakhalin were plotted on the map, and part of the Kuril ridge was comprehensively studied.

Photo: "I. F. Krusenstern in Avacha Bay, Friedrich Georg Veich, 1806

During his round-the-world trip, measurements of current speed, temperature at different depths, determination of salinity and specific gravity of water, and much more were carried out. Thus, Ivan Kruzenshtern became one of the founders of Russian oceanology.

Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (1827 - 1914)

Photo: Alexandre Quinet, 1870

Vice-chairman of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society and its leading scientist - but not an armchair. He was a brave and stubborn pioneer. He explored Altai, Tarbagatai, Semirechensky and Zailiysky Alatau, Lake Issyk-Kul. Only climbers will be able to appreciate the way the brave traveler traveled through the hard-to-reach mountains of the Central Tien Shan, where Europeans have not yet been able to reach. He discovered and for the first time conquered the peak of Khan Tengri with glaciers on its slopes and proved that the opinion of the international scientific world that a ridge of volcanoes erupts in these places is erroneous. The scientist also found out where the sources of the Naryn, Sarydzhaz and Chu rivers come from, penetrated into the upper reaches of the Syr Darya, which had not been traveled before.

Semenov-Tyan-Shansky became the actual creator of the new Russian geographical school, offering the international scientific world a fundamentally new way of knowledge. Being at the same time a geologist, botanist and zoologist, he first began to consider natural systems in their unity. And he compared the geological structure of the mountains with the mountainous relief and revealed patterns on which the entire scientific world later began to rely.

Nikolai Miklukho-Maclay (1846-1888)

Photo: ITAR-TASS, 1963

The famous Russian traveler, anthropologist, explorer, who made a number of expeditions to the previously unexplored New Guinea and other Pacific islands. Accompanied by only two servants, he lived among the Papuans for a long time, collected the richest materials about primitive peoples, made friends with them, and helped them.

Here is what his biographers write about the scientist: “The most characteristic of Miklouho-Maclay is an amazing combination of traits of a brave traveler, tireless enthusiastic researcher, widely erudite scientist, progressive humanist thinker, energetic public figure, fighter for the rights of the oppressed colonial peoples. Such qualities separately are not particularly rare, but the combination of all of them in one person is a completely exceptional phenomenon.

In his travels, Miklouho-Maclay also collected a lot of information about the peoples of Indonesia and Malaya, the Philippines, Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and western Polynesia. He was ahead of his time. His work was not sufficiently appreciated in the 19th century, but anthropological researchers of the 20th and 21st centuries consider his contribution to science to be a real scientific feat.

Nikolai Przhevalsky (1839-1888)

Photo: ITAR-TASS, 1948

Russian military figure, major general, one of the greatest Russian geographers and travelers, who consciously prepared himself for travel since the gymnasium.

Przhevalsky devoted 11 years of his life to long expeditions. First, he led a two-year expedition to the Ussuri region (1867-1869), and after that, in 1870-1885, he made four trips to the little-known regions of Central Asia.

The first expedition in the region of Central Asia was devoted to the study of Mongolia, China and Tibet. Przhevalsky collected scientific evidence that the Gobi is not a plateau, and the Nanshan mountains are not a ridge, but a mountain system. The explorer owns the discovery of a whole series of mountains, ranges, and lakes.

During the second expedition, the scientist discovered new Altyntag mountains, and for the first time described two rivers and a lake. And the border of the Tibet highlands, thanks to his research, had to be moved more than 300 km to the north on the maps.

In the third expedition, Przhevalsky singled out several ranges in Nanshan, Kunlun and Tibet, described Lake Kukunor, as well as the upper reaches of the great rivers of China, the Huang He and Yangtze. Despite his illness, the discoverer also organized the fourth expedition to Tibet in 1883-1885, during which he discovered a number of new lakes and ridges.

He described more than 30 thousand kilometers of the path he traveled, collected unique collections. He discovered not only mountains and rivers, but also hitherto unknown representatives of the animal world: a wild camel, a Tibetan bear, a wild horse.
Like many prominent geographers of that time, Przhevalsky was the owner of a good and lively literary language. He wrote several books about his travels, in which he gave a vivid description of Asia: its flora, fauna, climate and the peoples inhabiting it.

Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky (1863-1944)

Photo: Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky, 1912

Ancestor of the era of color photography in Russia. He was the first to capture in color nature, cities and people's lives on a vast stretch from the Baltic Sea to the East of Russia.

He created a system of color reproduction for photography: from the recipe of the emulsion, which is applied to glass plates for photography, to the drawings of special equipment for color photography and the projection of the resulting color images.

Since 1903, he has been constantly on trips: with the obsession of a real traveler, he takes pictures of the natural beauties of Russia, its inhabitants, cities, architectural monuments - all the true sights of the Russian Empire.

In December 1906-January 1907 Prokudin-Gorsky traveled to Turkestan with an expedition of the Russian Geographical Society to photograph the solar eclipse. It was not possible to capture the eclipse in color, but the ancient monuments of Bukhara and Samarkand, colorful local types of people and much more were filmed.

In the autumn of 1908, Nicholas II himself provided Prokudin-Gorsky with the necessary vehicles and gave permission to shoot in any place, so that the photographer could capture “in natural colors” all the main sights of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. In total, it is planned to take 10 thousand pictures in 10 years.

A few days after meeting with the tsar, the photographer sets off along the Mariinsky waterway from St. Petersburg almost to the Volga itself. For three and a half years he has been constantly moving and taking pictures. First, he takes pictures of the northern part of the industrial Urals. Then he makes two trips along the Volga, capturing it from its very source to Nizhny Novgorod. In between, he shoots the southern part of the Urals. And then - numerous monuments of antiquity in Kostroma and the Yaroslavl province. In the spring and autumn of 1911, the photographer manages to visit the Trans-Caspian region and Turkestan twice more, where he tried color filming for the first time in history.

This is followed by two photo expeditions to the Caucasus, where he photographs the Mugan steppe, undertakes a grandiose trip along the planned Kama-Tobolsk waterway, conducts extensive surveys of areas associated with the memory of the Patriotic War of 1812 - from Maloyaroslavets to Lithuanian Vilna, photographs Ryazan, Suzdal, construction of the Kuzminskaya and Beloomutovskaya dams on the Oka.

Then financial difficulties begin, the financing of expeditions is interrupted. In 1913-1914. Prokudin-Gorsky is engaged in the creation of the first color cinema. But the First World War prevented the further development of this new project. None of Prokudin-Gorsky's experimental color films has yet been found.

Artur Chilingarov (born 1939)

Photo: Lev Fedoseev/ITAR-TASS

Famous polar explorer, Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of the Russian Federation, prominent Russian scientist, author of a number of scientific papers on the development of the North and the Arctic. Lives and works in Moscow.

Since 1963, he has been studying the Arctic Ocean and the oceanic atmosphere at the Arctic Research Observatory in the village of Tiksi. In 1969, he headed the North Pole-19 station, created on drifting ice, since 1971 he worked as the head of the Bellingshausen station, and since 1973 - the head of the North Pole-22 station. In 1985, he led an operation to rescue the expedition ship Mikhail Somov, which was covered in Antarctic ice. The icebreaker "Vladivostok" broke the ice around the diesel-electric ship and freed its crew from the blockade, which lasted as much as 133 days.

In 1987, Chilingarov led the team of the nuclear-powered icebreaker Sibir, which reached the geographic North Pole in free navigation. In January 2002, the traveler proved the possibility of operating light aircraft in Antarctica: he reached the South Pole on a single-engine An-ZT aircraft.

Photo: Roman Denisov/ITAR-TASS

In the summer of 2007, the famous polar explorer led an Arctic expedition aboard the ship Akademik Fedorov, which proved that the shelf of the Arctic Ocean is a continuation of the Siberian continental platform. The Mir-1 and Mir-2 vehicles were submerged to the bottom of the ocean, one of which was carrying Chilingarov himself. He also set a kind of record as the first person in the world to visit both the South and North Poles within six months.

Nikolai Litau (born 1955)

Photo: from the archive

Honored Master of Sports, Russian yachtsman, who made three round-the-world trips on the Apostol Andrey yacht built under his leadership. Awarded with the Order of Courage. During three round-the-world trips, the Apostle Andrew left 110,000 nautical miles astern, visited all the continents of the planet, passed all the oceans and set five world records.

Here is what Nikolai Litau told a MIR 24 correspondent: “I made three round-the-world voyages on the Apostle Andrey. The first is around the Eastern Hemisphere through the Northern Sea Route, the second is around the Western Hemisphere, through the straits of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and the third is the Antarctic: in 2005-06, we rounded Antarctica, being all the time above 60 degrees of latitude, the invisible border of Antarctica. The latter has not yet been repeated by anyone. The fourth global voyage, in which I happened to take part, took place in 2012-13. It was an international round-the-world trip, its route passed mainly through warm and comfortable tropical latitudes. I was the captain-mentor on the Russian yacht Royal Leopard and covered half the distance. During this voyage, I crossed my jubilee - the tenth equator. In recent years, we have been engaged in memorial trips on the yacht "Apostol Andrei" in the Russian Arctic. We recall the names of outstanding Russian sailors: Vladimir Rusanov, Georgy Sedov, Boris Vilkitsky, Georgy Brusilov and others.”

Photo: from the archive

Exactly one year ago, Nikolai Litau traveled to the Arctic for the eleventh time on the yacht Apostol Andrey. The route of this journey passed through the White, Barents and Kara Seas, the islands of the Arctic Institute in the Kara Sea were explored. Ahead - new expeditions.

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. In those days, all the 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 the 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: the two new continents and many islands discovered by Columbus became the main travel destination for 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 established trade relations for three months, 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 many 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. Nikolai lived in Sicily, in 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 people how to farm, 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 the 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 the Indian Ocean and returned to Plymouth, becoming the first British citizen to circumnavigate the world. 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 made a trip 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. After visiting several cities in an 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.

One of the important stages in the history of human development is the era of discoverers. The maps with the seas marked on them are being refined, the ships are being improved, and the leaders are sending their sailors to seize new lands.

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Era Feature

The term "great geographical discoveries" conditionally united historical events, starting from the middle of the 15th century and ending with the middle of the 17th. Europeans were actively engaged in the exploration of new lands.

For the emergence of this era, there were prerequisites: the search for new trade routes and the development of navigation. Until the 15th century, the British already knew North America and Iceland. Many famous travelers entered the history, among them were Afanasy Nikitin, Rubrik and others.

Important! The Prince of Portugal, Henry the Navigator, began the great era of geographical discoveries, this event took place at the beginning of the 15th century.

First Accomplishments

Geographical science of that time was in serious decline. Lone sailors tried to share their discoveries with the public, but this did not work, and there was more fiction in their stories than truth. Data on what and who discovered at sea or on the coastal strip were lost and forgotten, no one had updated the maps for a long time. Skippers were simply afraid to go to sea, because not everyone had navigation skills.

Heinrich built a citadel near Cape Sagres, created a school of navigation and sent expeditions, collecting information about the winds in the sea, distant peoples and shores. The period of great geographical discoveries began with his activities.

Among the discoveries of Portuguese travelers are:

1. Madeira Island,
2. west coast of africa,
3. Cape Verde,
4. Cape of Good Hope,
5. Azores,
6. Congo river.

Why was it necessary to find new lands

The list of reasons for the advent of the era of navigation includes:

• active development of crafts and trade;
• the growth of European cities during the 15th and 16th centuries;
• depletion of known precious metal mines;
• the development of maritime navigation and the advent of the compass;
• interruption of the economic ties of Southern Europe with China and India after .

Important Points

Significant periods that went down in history, the times when famous travelers made their trips and expeditions:

The era of great geographical discoveries began in 1492, when America was discovered;

• 1500 - exploration of the mouth of the Amazon;
• 1513 - Vasco de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean;
• 1519-1553 - the conquest of South America;
• 1576-1629 - Russian campaigns in Siberia;
• 1603-1638 - exploration of Canada;
• 1642-1643 - visiting Tasmania and New Zealand;
• 1648 - study of Kamchatka.

Conquest of South America

Spanish and Portuguese navigators

At the same time as the Portuguese, famous travelers of Spain began to undertake sea voyages. , having good knowledge in the field of geography and navigation, suggested that the rulers of the country reach India by another route, following west across the Atlantic Ocean. The one who later discovered many new lands was given three caravels, on which brave sailors left the port on August 3, 1492.

Already by the beginning of October, they arrived at the first island, which became known as San Salvador, later they discovered Haiti and Cuba. It was Columbus' seminal voyage that put the Caribbean Islands on the map. Then there were two more, pointing the way to Central and South America.

Christopher Columbus - a mysterious person

First he visited the island of Cuba, and only then discovered America. Columbus was surprised to meet on the island a civilized people who had a rich culture, were engaged in the cultivation of cotton, tobacco and potatoes. Cities were decorated with large statues and large buildings.

Interesting! Everyone knows the name of Christopher Columbus. However, very little is known about his life and travels.

The birth of this legendary navigator is still being debated. Several cities claim to be the birthplace of Columbus, but this is no longer known for certain. He participated in boat trips in the Mediterranean, and later went on major expeditions from his native Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan was also from Portugal. Born in 1480. Early left without parents, he tried to survive on his own, working as a messenger. Since childhood, he was attracted by the sea, attracted by the thirst for travel and discovery.

At the age of 25, Ferdinand set sail for the first time. He quickly learned the maritime profession while staying off the coast of India and soon became a captain. He wanted to return to his homeland, talking about beneficial cooperation with the East, but he achieved results only with the coming to power of Charles the First.

Important! The era of great geographical discoveries began in the middle of the 15th century. Magellan warned her attack by making a trip around the world.

In 1493 Magellan leads an expedition west of Spain. He has a goal: to prove that the islands located there belong to his country. No one thought that the journey would become around the world, and the navigator would discover many new things along the way. The one who opened the way to the "South Sea" did not return home, but died in the Philippines. His team arrived at home only in 1522.

Russian pioneers

Representatives of Russia and their discoveries joined the orderly ranks of the famous European navigators. A great contribution to the improvement of the world map was made by several outstanding personalities who are worth knowing about.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen

Bellingshausen was the first who dared to lead an expedition to the uncharted shores of Antarctica, and around the world. This event took place in 1812. The navigator set out to prove or disprove the existence of the sixth mainland, which was only talked about. The expedition crossed the Indian Ocean, Pacific, Atlantic. Its participants made a great contribution to the development of geography. The expedition under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Bellingshausen lasted 751 days.

Interesting! Previously, attempts were made to get to Antarctica, but they all failed, only Russian famous travelers turned out to be more lucky and stubborn.

The navigator Bellingshausen went down in history as the discoverer of many animal species and more than 20 large islands. The captain was one of the few who managed to find their way, follow it and not destroy the barriers.

Nikolai Przhevalsky

Among the Russian travelers was the one who discovered most of Central Asia. Nikolai Przhevalsky always dreamed of visiting unexplored Asia. This continent beckoned him. The navigator led each of the four expeditions that explored Central Asia. Curiosity led to the discovery and study of such mountain systems as Kun-Lun and the ranges of Northern Tibet. The sources of the Yangtze and Huang He rivers, as well as Lop-nora and Kuhu-nora were investigated. Nikolai was the second explorer after Marco Polo to reach Lob-nor.

Przhevalsky, like others / travelers of the era of great geographical discoveries, considered himself a happy person, because fate gave him the opportunity to explore the mysterious countries of the Asian world. Many species of animals described by him during his travels are named after him.

The first Russian circumnavigation

Ivan Kruzenshtern and his colleague Yuri Lisyansky firmly inscribed their names in the history of great discoveries in geography. They led the first expedition around the globe, which lasted more than three years - from 1803 to 1806. During this period, sailors on two ships crossed the Atlantic, sailed through Cape Horn, after which they arrived in Kamchatka along the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There, the researchers studied the Kuriles and Sakhalin Island. Their coast was clarified, and data on all the waters visited by the expedition were also entered on the map. Kruzenshtern compiled an atlas of the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition under the command of the admiral was the first to cross the equator. This event was celebrated according to tradition.

Exploration of the Eurasian continent

Eurasia is a huge continent, but it is problematic to name the only person who would discover it.

Surprise causes one moment. If everything is clear with America and Antarctica, the famous names of the great navigators are reliably inscribed in the history of their existence, then the man who discovered Europe did not get the laurels, because he simply does not exist.

If we discard the search for one navigator, then we can list many names who have contributed to the study of the surrounding world and took part in expeditions around the mainland and its coastal zone. Europeans are accustomed to consider themselves only explorers of Eurasia, but Asian navigators and their discoveries are no less in scope.

Historians know which of the Russian writers made a round-the-world trip, except for the famous navigators. It was Ivan Goncharov, who participated in the expedition on a military sailing ship. His impressions of the trip resulted in a large collection of diaries describing distant countries.

The Importance of Cartography

People could hardly move on the sea without good navigation. Previously, their main reference point was the starry sky at night and the sun during the day. Many maps during the period of great geographical discoveries were dependent on the sky. A map has been preserved since the 17th century, on which the scientist plotted all known coastal zones and continents, but Siberia and North America remained unknown, because no one knew how far they were and how far the continents themselves extended.

The atlases of Gerard van Köhlen were the richest in terms of information. Captains and famous travelers crossing the Atlantic were grateful for the charting of details about Iceland, Holland and Labrador.

Unusual information

Interesting facts about travelers have been preserved in history:

1. James Cook became the first person to visit all six continents.
2. Seafarers and their discoveries changed the face of many lands, so James Cook brought sheep to the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand.
3. Che Guevara, before his revolutionary activities, was a lover of riding a motorcycle, he made a tour of 4 thousand kilometers, touring South America.
4. Charles Darwin traveled by ship, where he wrote his greatest work on evolution. But they didn’t want to take the man on board, and it was in the shape of the nose. It seemed to the captain that such a person would not be able to cope with a long load. Darwin had to be off the team and buy his own uniforms.

The era of the great geographical discoveries 15-17 centuries

Great pioneers

Conclusion

Thanks to the heroism and purposefulness of the sailors, people received valuable information about the world. This served as an impetus for many changes, contributed to the development of trade, the industrial sector, and the strengthening of relations with other peoples. Most importantly, it has been practically proven that it has a rounded shape.