“Not all those who wander are lost”
-R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
The second name of ‘adventure’ has always been associated with ‘exploration’ and the ‘explorers’ thus became adventurers. There are many places that have been explored by people that now have become a part of our world and ourselves. Exploration of new places, new lives, new people and new culture has brought various daring places to our sights. If we look into the world history and discovery of new places then there are some names that will definitely be in the list of ‘born explorers’ who might have believed that ‘nothing is too difficult to be explored.’ The list of ‘explorers’ cannot be begin and end without the mention of the people listed below.
- Marco Polo
The famous name of a famous ‘wanderer’. Marco Polo was an Italian traveller who became an ‘explorer’ by becoming one of the first Europeans to set out his foot in China and other Eastern countries. He reported about his discoveries and encouraged trading with the East but people hardly believed his facts about his discoveries and explorations.
- John Cabot
Another Italian who built his place on the list of explorers by his tremendous exploration. John and his son Sebastian Cabot were employed by British merchants to seek western route to Asia. One of these employed travels led to the discovery of northeast coast of America and the credit of this exploration thus goes to Cabot.
- Chirstopher Columbus
Yet another Italian who is extremely popular among people for his discovery of Northern Central and South America. He is also credited for his discovery of islands of West Indies. He is another name on the ‘list of explorers’ who has achieved his place by making himself a wanderer and an explorer of his times.
- Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama is another name on the list for his eminent discovery of route to India. He was a Portuguese explorer who travelled round the Cape of Good Hope and up the East coast of Africa and his travelling is what that led to his ultimate discovery that brought him enormous fame.
- Ferdinand Magellan
Another Portuguese explorer who is given credit of being the one person who led the first voyage round the world. He is also the one to whom the credit goes for the discovery of Strait of Magellan, near the tip of South America. Ferdinand Magellan thus became another inevitable name on the list.
- Abel Tasman
Abel Tasman was a Dutchman who is famous for his exploration of Australia. He was the one who discovered Van Diemans land which later came to be known as Tasmania , and New Zealand in 1642. Thus, his name on the list.
- Henry Hudson
Hudson was an English navigator to whom goes the credit of discovering Hudson’s bay. Hudson searched for Northwest Passage which was a route to the East by travelling north of America. Navigating, searching, exploring and discovering resulted in giving him a place and fame as an explorer of his times.
- James Cook
James Cook was a British captain who led several major expeditions. He is also famously recognized and known as Captain Cook. To him goes the credit of exploring the coasts of Australia, New Zealand and North America.
- David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary who is also an explorer. He explored Africa and also discovered Victoria Falls which he named after the Queen Victoria. His ultimate discovery gave him an irreplaceable place in the list of explorers.
- Sir Richard Burton
Sir Richard Burton was one of the first Europeans to travel Arabia. With the companionship of John Hanning Speke, he discovered Lake Tanganyika in Africa.
- John Hanning Speke
Apart from the discovery of Lake Tanganyika in Africa alongwith Burton, the discovery of Lake Victoria which is believed to be the source of the River Nile, is also done by John Hanning Speke.
- Sir Henry Mortan Stanley
Stanley was a British explorer of Africa and was involved in the search for Livingstone.
