exploration [n.]

[mass noun] 1. the action of exploring an unfamiliar area [e.g. an exploration of the African interior]. 2. the action of searching an area for natural resources. 3. thorough examination of a subject. DERIVATIVE - explorational [adject.]
- ORIGIN [from] mid 16th century [in the sense ‘investigate [why]’]: from French explorer, from Latin explorare ‘search out’, from ex- ‘out’ + plorare ‘utter a cry’.

Oxford Dictionaries

Exploration has been a feature of human development for millenia. This may have been as little as wanting to know what is on the other side of a mountain to travelling across oceans to see if anything [or anything special] is there, to exploring beneath the oceans and now into space.

Most people are familiar with the famous names of exploration - Polo, Columbus, Cook, etc.. A few of these are included below. However, there are many others less well known, perhaps exploring places people may not have considered who have been listed. These include people from non-European backgrounds and those from outside the main Ages of Exploration. Most of those who are more famous can be found via the group listings in the Other Information section.

Be aware the information provided is only a starting point. Wherever possible, we have tried to include primary [and other] documentation as well as biographies and general information about the explorers and their travels. Explorers are listed alphabetically by last name.

Exploration in the areas of the Antarctic, Arctic and Australia are found on these pages.

This page requires further development. It will be done as soon as time permits through further additions and an expansion of the existing content. If you are aware of any worthwhile additions that are not included, let us know so these can be reviewed with a view to inclusion.

A - F

Aldrin, Edwin “Buzz” & Armstrong, Neil

• Edwin Aldrin
  Biographical data from NASA.
• Mission Transcripts, Apollo 11
  Available in OF format.
• Neil Armstrong
  Biographical data from NASA.
• Satellite of Solitude
  Article about the Moon by Buzz Aldrin in Cosmos magazine.

Balboa, Vasco Núñez de

• Epic Voyages
  From Thinkquest. Covers biography and voyages.
• Vasco Núñez de Balboa
  Early Life, early career, founding of Santa Maria, Governor of Veragua, conquistador, discoverer of the south sea, possession and conquest of the south sea, disputes, downfall and death, legacy, references, other links, more. From Wikipedia.
• Vasco Nuñez de Balboa [1475-1519]
  ‘Spanish Explorer, Conquistador and Adventurer’.

Battuta, Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn

• Ibn Battuta
  Early life & first hajj, Iraq and Persia, Arabian Peninsula, Somalia, Swahili Coast, Byzantine Empire, Golden Horde, Anatolia, Central Asia and India, Southeast Asia and China, Andalus and North Africa, The Sahara Desert to Mali and Timbuktu, The Rihla, Places by visited by Ibn Battuta [1325-1354], references, further reading, links, more. From Wikipedia.
• Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325-1354
  A work by Ibn Battuta [Google books], which covers his travels and much more.
• The Longest Hajj
  The Journeys of Ibn Battuta. Article.

Burton, Richard Francis

• Burtoniana
  ‘Explorer, ethnographer, and man of letters. Pilgrim to Mecca and Harar; discoverer of Lake Tanganyika; translator of the Arabian Nights; controversialist and iconoclast’. Access the majority of his works through this site.
• Richard Francis Burton
  Early life, army career, First Explorations, early Explorations, Exploring the African Great Lakes, Diplomatics service, scandals, chronology, works, biographies, references, other links, more. From Wikipedia.
• The Sir Richard Francis Burton Project - Web Resources
  Check multiple sections using the menu at the top. You can also find a Selected Bibliography of Works by Sir Richard Burton here.

Columbus, Christopher

• Christopher Columbus
  Early life, Quest for Asia, Voyages, Governorship & arrest, later life, commemoration, legacy, references, links. From Wikipedia.
• Extracts from His Journal
  From the Medieval SourceBook.
• The Columbus Navigation
  ‘Examining the History, Navigation, and Landfall of Christopher Columbus’.
• The Log of Christopher Columbus
  ‘The log of Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the New World. Translated in 1903 by John Boyd Thacher’.

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Costeau, Jacques-Yves

• Jacques-Yves Costeau
  Life - from early life to death, his ships, legacy, bibliography, references, links, more. From Wikipedia.
• Jacques Cousteau
  Biography and fact file.

Dias, Bartolemeu

• Bartolomeu Dias
  Purposes of the Dias expedition, the expedition, follow-up voyages, personal life, references, other links. From Wikipedia.
• Bartolomeu Dias [2]
  ‘Biography, Timeline & Facts about the famous explorer, explorations & voyages in the Age of Exploration’.

Ericson, Leif

• Leif Ericson
  Exploring west of Greenland, settlement in Vinland, return to Greenland, references, other links, more. From Wikipedia.
• Leif Ericson [2]
  Norwegian biography of Leif Ericson.
• The Saga of Erik the Red
  Concentrates on Leif Ericson’s journey. You can get both text and audio copies in a variety of formats from Eirik the Red’s Saga - Project Gutenberg.

Fadlan, Ahmad Ibn

• Ahmad ibn Fadlan
  Ahmad ibn Fadlán ibn al-Abbás ibn Rašīd ibn Hammād. Manuscript tradition, the Embassy, Rus, further reading, references, other links, From Wikipedia
• Ibn Fadlan and the Rusiyyah
  ‘Ibn Fadlan’s account of the caliphal embassy from Baghdad to the King of the Volga Bulghars in the early [ ]/tenth century. This article provides a fresh, annotated translation of Ibn Fadlan’s passage and considers a multiplicity of identities for the Rusiyyah’.

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G - L

Gama, Vasco da

• Vasco da Gama
  Early life, exploration before him, first voyage, second & third voyages, acts of cruelty, legacy, references, other links, From Wikipedia.
• Vasco da Gama: Round Africa to India, 1497-1498 CE
  Extract from the Modern History SourceBook. Primary source.
• Vasco da Gama Biography
  From Biography.com.

Humboldt, Alexander von

• Alexander von Humboldt
  Life and travels [Europe, Russia, Latin America], national rebuff, honours and namesakes, publications, references, other links. From Wikipedia. Probably best known for his other works.
• The Humboldt Digital Library
  Access digital texts including those related to his travels.

Livingston, David

• David Livingston
  Early Life, missionary work, exploration of southern and central Africa, Stanley meeting, death, slavery, archives, references, other links, more. From Wikipedia.
• Livingstone Online
  ‘Livingstone Online is an ongoing project that provides access to the medical and scientific writings of the missionary, doctor and African explorer David Livingstone’.
• Stanley Finds Livingstone, 1871
  Original report of this meeting from Eyewitness History.
• Works by David Livingstone at Project Gutenberg
  HTML and text. Covers many of his explorations.

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M - R

Magellan, Ferdinand

• Biography of Magellan
  Includes background, travels, more.
• Ferdinand Magellan
  Early life and travels, voyage of circumnavigation, aftermath and legacy. references, further reading, links, more. From Wikipedia. Note : Magellan was actually killed before completing the voyage. Juan Sebastián Elcano brought the remainder of the group home.
• The Death of Magellan
  ‘From the diary of the Italian Antonio Pigafetta’.
• The First Voyage Round The World, by Magellan
  ‘Translated from the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writers. Accompanied by original documents, with notes and an introduction, by Lord Stanley of Alderley’. Full text.

Piccard, Auguste

• 10½ Miles Above The Earth
  Newsreel footage of his 1932 balloon ascent.
• Auguste Piccard
  Biography, Piccard family, references in popular media, other links. From Wikipedia.
• Auguste Piccard [2]
  Biography, of this balloonist and explorer of the stratosphere.

Pinto, Fernão Mendes

• Fernão Mendes Pinto
  Early Life, Voyages [India, Malacca, Japan], the book, legacy and following, references, other links. From Wikipedia.
• Fernão Mendes Pinto [2]
  Biographical details of ‘the first European to have visited Japan’.
• The Travels of Mendes Pinto
  Online text from Google Books. Some limitations to the text.

Polo, Marco

• Marco Polo and His Travels
  Extensive text information from The Silk Road Project.
• In the Footsteps of Marco Polo
  Linked to a PBS production. Video, blog, interactives and more. You can watch the complete video [86min.] here as well.
• The Marco Polo Odyssey
  Sights & Sounds. From National Geographic.
• Works by Marco Polo
  The Travels of Marco Polo, Volumes 1 & 2. From Project Gutenberg.

Queirós, Pedro Fernandes de

• Discovery of Australia by de Quiros in the Year 1606
  By Patrick F. Cardinal Moran, Archbishop of Sydney. Text from Project Gutenberg Australia.
• Pedro Fernandes de Queirós
  Early life, search for Terra Australis, accounts of his voyage, theory that he discovered Australia, Quiros in modern literature, references, other links, more. From Wikipedia.
• Pedro Fernandes de Quirós
  Background, other internet resources, sources and bibliography.

Rondon, Cândido

• Cândido Rondon
  Early life, as an army engineer, explorations, Expedition with Roosevelt, later life, works cited, other links, more. From Wikipedia.
• Cândido Rondon [2]
  ‘Explorer, Geographer, Peacemaker : 1865-1958’. Timeline and interview transcripts by Brazilian Indians and Rondon.
• Stringing Together A Nation : Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon and the … By Todd A. Diacon
  Text presentation from Google Books. Covers the influence of Positivism on his actions.

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S - Z

Sauma, Rabban Bar

• Rabban Bar Sauma
  Biographical entry from the Classic Encyclopaedia.
• Rabban Ṣawma/Çauma
  Early life, Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, Ambassador to Europe, later years, references, translations, other links. From Wikipedia.
• The Monks Of Kublal Khan
  ‘Or The History Of The Life And Travels Of Rabban Sawma, Envoy And Plenipotentiary Of The Mongol Khans To The Kings Of Europe, And Markos Who As Mar Yahbh-Allaha Iii Became Patriarch Of The Nestorian Church In Asia’. By Sir E. A. Wallis Budge. Full text.

Speke, John Hanning

• John Hanning Speke
  Life, controversy, biographies, books, article, other links, more. From Wikipedia.
• John Hanning Speke, 1827-1864
  A collection of original articles, several books [downloadable] and his DNB entry.
• John Hanning Speke [DNB]
  Biographical entry in the Dictionary of National Biography 1885-1900, Vol. 53.
• The Discovery of the Source of the Nile
  By John Hanning Speke. Downloadable text from Project Gutenberg.

Vespucci, Amerigo

• Account of His First Voyage, 1497
  Translated text from the Modern History SourceBook.
• Amerigo Vespucci
  Expeditions, historical role, first/second/third/fourth voyages, references, other links. From Wikipedia.
• Amerigo Vespucci [About.com]
  Biography of ‘The Explorer Amerigo Vespucci For Whom America Was Named’.
• 1507 Waldseemüller Map
  ‘A Map of the Entire World According to the Traditional Method of Ptolemy and Corrected with Other Lands of Amerigo Vespucci’. A similar presentation can be found, based on the original map, at the Library of Congress.

Warner, Langdon

• Langdon Warner
  Frescoes at Tun-huang. World War II, bibliography, references. From Wikipedia.
• Langdon Warner [1881-1955]
  ‘One of the models for Steven Spielberg’s Indiana Jones. As an explorer/agent at the turn of the 20th century he studied the Silk Road’. From eNotes.
• Langdon Warner [2]
  Biographical information.

Yermak Timofeyevich

• Yermak Timofeyevich
  “Ерма́к Тимофе́евич”. Entry detailing his exploration and conquest of Siberia and death there. Links to related information. From Wikipedia.
• Yermak Timofeyevich [2]
  Biography from Encyclopaedia.com.
• Yermak Timofeyevich [3]
  Biography and further links.

Zheng He

• Admiral Zheng He
  Brief Biography & Timeline. University of Oregon.
• Zheng He
  Life, expeditions, voyages, sailing charts, size of the ships, connection to Chinese history, relics, commemoration, cultural influence, references, other links. From Wikipedia.
• Zheng He’s Voyages of Discovery
  Historical Background, The Research Agenda, links, more. From UCLA.

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Other Information

• Age of Exploration
  The Mariners’ Museum. ‘The materials that follow address maritime discovery from ancient times to Captain Cook’s 1768 voyage to the South Pacific’. The Age of Exploration interactive website is currently undergoing maintenance and upgrades and will be available soon.
• Discoverers Web
  ‘In this project I try to gather all kinds of information found on the web about voyages of discovery and exploration’.
• Discovery and Exploration
  ‘This category documents the discovery and exploration with both manuscripts and published maps …’. From the Library of Congress. NOT just America.
• Distinguished Women of Past and Present
  Lists a number from around the world. By clicking on their name, you get a biography and links to further information.
• Exploration is Risky Business
  ‘That’s what can be seen from the fate of the persons below. All of them died during one of their voyages of exploration. Of each is given the place and year of death as well as its cause [if I have been able to find the second]. Not included are people who died after getting back home from illnesses, wounds or other problems met during their travels’.
• Explorers
  Done by an American School District. Lists date, explorer, nationality and achievement with links to further information, through the explorer’s name. Runs from about 1 000 to 1682.
• Explorers A to Z
  Alphabetical listing of explorers with links [often multiple] to further information. Compiled by an American Library.
• Explorers - A to Z
  ‘Here is an indexed listing of biography sites for Explorers - A to Z’.
• Explorers Hall of Fame
  From Thinkquest. Collection of explorers listed alphabetically. Includes images.
• Famous Explorers
  Covers the Elizabethan Era. Famous European, Canadian, Spanish, French, English and Portuguese explorers.
• Female Explorers
  Introduction, then links to specific women and other sites.
• Great Canadian Explorers
  Listing of these plus multiple links are provided for further information about these.
• List of Explorers
  Listed alphabetically, with name, nationality, Century, main area/s explored. Each has links to a longer article, some have links to related articles. From Wikipedia.
• List of Russian Explorers
  ‘This is a list of explorers from Russian Federation, Soviet Union, Russian Empire, Tsardom of Russia and other of Russia’s predecessor states, both ethnic Russians and people of other ethnicities’. Alphabetically listed and colour coded for areas of exploration.
• Specific Explorers
  Provides collections of links for each of the explorers listed. Most of the better known explorers are included.
• The European Voyages of Exploration, Fifteenth & Sixteenth Centuries
  ‘During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries two nations, Portugal and Spain, pioneered the European discovery of sea routes that were the first channels of interaction between all of the world’s continents, thus beginning the process of globalisation in which we all live today. This tutorial introduces the student to these two pioneering nations, their motivations, their actions, and the inevitable consequences of their colonisation’.
• Travelers On The Silk Road
  Introduction and listing of travellers from 959 to 1682-93. ‘Each entry includes selected bibliographical references (linked from a separate file). Where they exist, English or other Western language texts or translations are cited for the original travel accounts’.
• Voyage of Exploration, Discovering New Horizons
  From Thinkquest. Covers Great Explorers, Expeditions, Navigation, New Horizons, Why Explore ? . Includes interactive activities.

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