Biography:John Cabot is considered the first European to land on the North American Continent since the Vikings.
Cabot rose to prominence as a Venetian merchant who travelled widely. After leaving Venice due to bad debts he reached England in 1495. In 1496 he was granted a royal patent to search for new lands under the flag of England, by King Henry VII.
Cabot departed from the port of Bristol in 1497 aboard his ship the Matthew and reached the coast of what is though to be Newfoundland in June of 1498. He returned to England and was reward by the king.
Cabot set off on another voyage in 1498 but was either unsuccessful or lost at sea.
Birthplace:Genoa, Liguria, Italy
Historical Events
1496-03-05 English King Henry VII grants John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) a commission to explore for new lands
1497-05-02 John Cabot's expedition departs Bristol searching for new lands across the Atlantic
1497-06-24 John Cabot claims parts of North America (what is now Eastern Canada) for England believing he has found Asia in Newfoundland
1497-08-06 Italian explorer John Cabot returns to Bristol from North America (Newfoundland) - first European to do so since the Vikings
Aimé Bonpland
Edmund Hillary
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William Clark