Famous Explorers Quiz
Who settled Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607?
- Smith left London for American in 1606 with Capt. Christopher Newport.
Who discovered Florida?
- In 1513, Spanish explorer Ponce de León, seeking the mythical "Fountain of Youth," discovered and named Florida.
Who made the first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean?
- Charles Lindbergh was the first to fly solo (alone) across the Atlantic in 1927. The first nonstop flight across the Atlantic was made by Alcock and Brown, two British aviators, in 1919.
Which explorer first reached the South Pole?
- Amundsen, from Norway, had planned to be the first person to reach the North Pole, but was beat by Robert Peary. He arrived at the South Pole in 1911.
Who was the first explorer to travel around the world in 80 days (or less)?
- Nellie Bly, an American journalist, accepted a challenge to go around the world in fewer than 80 days. In 1889, she made the journey in 72 days.
What explorer has a river, bay, and strait named in his honor?
- From 1609 to 1610, Henry Hudson explored what is now called the Hudson River, the Hudson Bay, and the Hudson Strait.
Which explorer rounded the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa?
- The Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias made the trip in 1488.
Which country did Marco Polo explore and introduce to Europeans?
- In about 1271, Marco Polo traveled to China (then called Cathay) with his father and uncle. They spent 20 years at the court of Kublai Khan.
Who discovered America?
- Leif Eriksson and the Vikings were the first Europeans to land on the coast of North America in the year 1000. Christopher Columbus landed on the island of San Salvador in 1492, thinking he had reached the East Indies.
Which president sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their journey to the Pacific Ocean?
- In 1803, Congress approved Jefferson's plan to search out a land route to the Pacific, to strengthen American claims to Oregon territory, and to gather information about the indigenous inhabitants and the country of the Far West. The expedition began the next year.
