List of explorers
- Expedition redirects here. See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. Also, see International Space Station for ISS explorers, and for the Ford's large SUV, see Ford Expedition (especially replacing the Ford Excursion).
Contents: Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
- Diogo de Azambuja (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Pêro de Alenquer (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Francisco de Almeida (16th century Portuguese naval explorer and viceroy of India)
- Afonso de Albuquerque (16th century Portuguese naval explorer and viceroy of India)
- Antonio de Abreu (16th century Portuguese explorer of Indonesia)
- Francisco Alvarez (16th century Portuguese missionary and explorer in Ethiopia)
- Jorge Álvares (16th century Portuguese, the first to reach China)
- Fernão Pires de Andrade (16th century Portuguese merchant in China)
- Charles Albanel (1616-1696), Canada
- Diego de Almagro
- Pedro de Alvarado
- Roald Amundsen, (1872-1928), Norwegian, first at the South Pole, first to navigate the Northwest Passage in a single ship
- Roy Chapman Andrews, (1884-1960), US explorer
B
- Pêro de Barcelos (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
- Pierre Savorgan de Brazza Italian explorer naturalized French. French Congo's founder.
- Vasco Núñez de Balboa, (c. 1475-1519), Spanish, first to sight the Pacific Ocean, founded Darién, oldest surviving European settlement in the South American continent.
- William Baffin, (1584-1622)
- Samuel Baker, Africa
- Heinrich Barth (1821-1865), Northern and Central Africa
- Robert Bartlett (1875-1946), greatest Arctic explorer
- Willem Barents, (1550?-1597), Dutch, died on Novaya Zemlya Northeast Passage
- George Bass - Australian explorer
- Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta, (1304?-1377?), Moroccan Berber Muslim, visited Mecca several times, travelled to Central Asia, East Africa, China, Tombouctou and other places
- Nicolas Baudin - 18th century French explorer, mapped the West Australian coastline.
- Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, Russian explorer
- Moric Benovsky, Slovak
- Vitus Bering
- Vittorio Bottego (1860,1897), Italian explorer of the Giuba region in north-east Africa
- Saint Brendan - Irish abbot who sailed the Atlantic Ocean
- James Bruce
- William S. Bruce, (1867-1921) Scottish explorer of Antarctica
- Cornelis de Bruijn, (1652-1727), Dutch traveler and artist
- Richard Francis Burton, (1821-1890), looking for the source of the Nile, discovered Lake Tanganyika
- Richard E. Byrd, (1888-1957), flew over South Pole
C
- John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), (c. 1450 – 1499), Italian navigator in English service, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to North America
- Pedro Álvares Cabral, (c. 1467-c. 1520), Portuguese navigator, discovered Brazil and Madagascar
- Pêro Vaz de Caminha (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
- Nicolau Coelho (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
- Alvise Cadamosto (1432-1488), Portuguese explorer of Venetian origin
- Diogo Cão, (15th century), Portuguese navigator, explored the area around the West African coast
- Alvaro Caminha (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
- Jacques Cartier, (1491-1557), discovered the St. Lawrence River and sailed up it to Montreal; failed in an attempt to set up a colony
- Tristão da Cunha (16th century Portuguese naval general and discoverer)
- Thomas Cavendish, (died 1592), English sailor and explorer.
- Gonçalo Coelho (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of the South American coast)
- Pero da Covilhã (15th century/16th century Portuguese diplomat and explorer in Ethiopia)
- João Vaz Corte-Real (15th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
- Gaspar Corte-Real (16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
- Miguel Corte-Real (16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
- João Rodrigues Cabrilho (16th century Portuguese discoverer of California)
- Samuel de Champlain, (c. 1567-1635), established the French colony in Canada; discovered the Great Lakes
- William Clark, (1770-1838), with Meriwether Lewis led the first American expedition to reach the west coast.
- Christopher Columbus, (1451-1506), reached America looking for a searoute to the Indies; discovered various lands and islands and established a colony on Hispaniola
- James Cook, (1728-1779), explored the Pacific, discovering or mapping many lands and islands
- Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, (c. 1510-1554), explored New Mexico and American southwest
- Hernán Cortés, (1485-1547), conquered the Aztec empire in Mexico; sent out expeditions to Baja California
- Juan de la Cosa
- Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral (20th century Portuguese air pioneers, the first to cross the South Atlantic Ocean by air)
- Jacques-Yves Cousteau, (died 1997), French marine biologist and explorer
D
- Alexandra David-Néel, (1868-1969), French explorer, visited Lhasa, Tibet in 1924
- Harry de Windt Explorer, adventurer and author.
- Semyon Dezhnev, Russian explorer, first European who sailed through Bering Strait
- Bartolomeu Dias, (1450-1500), Portuguese explorer who first rounded the Cape of Good Hope
- Pêro Dias (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Dinis Dias, 15th century Portuguese explorer, first European to reach Cape Verde
- Bernal Díaz del Castillo
- Diogo Dias (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands, of the African coast and the Indian Ocean, discovered Madagascar)
- David Douglas, Scottish explorer, botanist
- Sir Francis Drake, (c. 1540-1596), pirate, leader of the second circumnavigation
- Jules Dumont d'Urville, (1790-1842), explorer of the Pacific and Antarctica
- Niccolò Da Conti, (1395–1469), Venetian explorer of South and Southeast Asia
E
- Eric the Red, (c.950-1003), explored and colonized Greenland
- Leifur Eiríksson, (born 970), attempted to colonize Vinland, discovered America
- Gil Eanes (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Pedro Escobar (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
- Juan Sebastián Elcano - completed the first circumnavigation, started by Magellan
- George Everest, (1790-1866)
F
- António Fernandes (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Duarte Fernandes (16th century Portuguese diplomat in Thailand)
- Baltazar Fernandes (17th century Portuguese explorer of Brazil's interior)
- Edmund Fanning, (1769-1841), "Pathfinder of the Pacific", discoverer of numerous South Pacific islands
- Matthew Flinders, (1774-1814), first to circumnavigate Australia and Tasmania, extensively charted the coastline and named such features as the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Australian Bight.
- Alexander Forbes, Scottish explorer of North American Pacific coast
- John Franklin, (1786-1847), disappeared exploring Arctic Canada in search of the North West Passage
- John C. Fremont, (1813-1890), "Pathfinder of the West" explored the Oregon Trail and the Sierra Nevada, first Republican nominee for President of the United States
- Louis de Freycinet, (1779-1842), explored coastal regions of Western Australia
G
- João Grego (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Antão Gonçalves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the West African coast)
- Lopes Gonçalves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic)
- Vasco da Gama, (1469?-1524), Portuguese navigator, first to reach India from Europe by sea route in 1498
- Paulo da Gama (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to India)
- André Gonçalves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
- Estevão da Gama (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Indian Ocean)
- Alfons Gabriel, (1892-1976) Austrian explorer of the Iranian deserts.
- Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de la Vérendrye, (1685-1749), explorer
- Juan Galindo (1802-1839) explorer of Central American ruins
- Juan de Grijalva
- Thomas Gann, explorer
- Francis Garnier, (1839-1873), Mekong River
- Romolo Gessi ( (1831, 1881)), Italian explorer of the Nile and of Sudan
- Ernest Giles, (1835-1897), explorer of central Australia
- James Augustus Grant, (1827-1892), Scottish officer and explorer, explored the eastern equatorial Africa
- Yuri Gagarin first man in Space and Cosmonaut
H
- Hanno the Navigator - Carthageinian who travelled along the coast of Africa
- Hannu, ancient Egyptian explorer (around 2750 BC) and the first explorer of whom there is any knowledge
- Sven Hedin, (1865-1952), Swedish explorer of Central Asia
- Louis Hennepin - discoverer of Niagara Falls and the Saint Anthony Falls (the only waterfall on the Mississippi)
- Bjarni Herjulfsson - Viking, probable discoverer of North America
- Thor Heyerdahl, (1914-2002), Norwegian explorer
- Sir Edmund Hillary, with Tenzing Norgay was the first person to the summit of Mount Everest
- Himilco the Navigator, Carthaginian navigator
- Clement Hodgkinson - (1818-1893) Australian explorer
- William Hovell - Australian explorer
- Henry Hudson, (died 1570), discovered the Hudson River and sailed up it to Albany, discovered Hudson Bay
- Alexander von Humboldt, (1769-1859), German naturalist, explored Central and South America, visited Siberia
- Hamilton Hume - Australian explorer
I
- Ibn Rustah, 10th century Persian explorer of Russia, Scandinavia and Arabia
- Ibn Battuta, (1304-1377), Moroccan explorer of Africa and Asia, author of the Rihla
- João Infante (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Helge Ingstad, (1899-2001) Norwegian-Danish explorer, Governor of Greenland
J
- Louis Joliet, (1645-1700), central North American wilderness
- Richard Jobson
- Harry Johnston, (1858-1927), Africa, reported the okapi
K
- George Kennan, (1845-1924), Siberia
- Edmund Kennedy, (1818-1848), Australian explorer
- Ferdinand Konščak, (1703-1759), Croatia, California, Mexico
- Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov (1863-1935), Mongolia and Tibet
L
- Gaspar de Lemos (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic and of the sea route to Brazil)
- João Fernandes Lavrador (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of North America)
- Richard Lemon Lander (1804-1834)
- Jean François La Pérouse, (1741-1788), French explorer of the Pacific
- René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, (1643-1687), French explorer of the Mississippi basin
- Albert von Le Coq, (1860-1930), German explorer of Central Asia
- Miguel López de Legaspi, Spanish explorer of the Philippines and Mexico
- Ludwig Leichhardt, (1813-1848), Prussian explorer of Australia
- Dragutin Lerman, (1863-1918), Croatia, (Congo, Africa)
- Meriwether Lewis, (1774-1809), leader of the first American expedition to cross the continent
- David Livingstone, (1813-1873), Scottish explorer of south and east Africa, determined the course of the Zambesi, discovered Lake Nyasa
M
- Álvaro Martins (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Ferdinand Magellan, (c. 1470-1521), Portuguese navigator, leader of first expedition around the world and the first European to have sailed the Pacific Ocean
- Lourenço Marques (16th century Portuguese trader and explorer in East Africa)
- Pedro Mascarenhas (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Indian Ocean)
- Archibald Menzies (1754-1852)
- Álvaro de Mendaña
- Thomas Mitchell - (1792-1855), Scottish explorer of Australia
- Alexander Mackenzie, (1764-1820), Scottish Western and Northern Canada to Arctic and Pacific Oceans
- Teoberto Maler (1840-1917) Maya ruins
- Douglas Mawson - Australian explorer of Antarctica
N
- Afanasiy Nikitin (the first European to visit India and to document his travels)
- António Noli (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands and of of the African coast)
- Fernão de Noronha (15th century/16th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic)
- João da Nova (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic and of the Indian Ocean)
- Fridtjof Nansen, (1861-1930), arctic explorer, scientist and international statesman
- Nehsi, ancient Egyptian explorer in service of Egyptian queen Hatshepsut
- Jean Nicolet, (1628-1642), early French explorer of the Old Northwest
- Joseph Nicollet, (1786-1843), explorer of the Upper Mississippi River and Missouri River
- Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, (1832-1901), arctic explorer
- Tenzing Norgay, with Sir Edmund Hillary was the first person to the summit of Mount Everest
- Hugh McNeil, Lewis and Clark Party member
- Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
O
- Francisco de Orellana - first to navigate down the Amazon River
- John Oxley - Australian explorer
P
- Pytheas, Greek explorer who visited Britain and other north and northwest European countries
- Marco Polo, (1254-1323), Venetian Republic, travelled to China in the 13th century
- Bartolomeu Perestrelo (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
- Fernão da Po (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- Duarte Pacheco Pereira (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic)
- Luís Pires (15th century Portuguese explorer of the sea route to Brazil)
- Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, (1494?-1519?)
- Martin Alonzo Pinzón (1441?-1493)
- Vicente Yáñez Pinzón (1460? - after 1523)
- Francisco Pizarro, (1471-1541), conqueror of the Inca Empire
- Fernão Mendes Pinto (16th century Portuguese explorer and adventurer, was among the first Europeans to reach Japan)
- Gaspar de Portolá (fl. 1734-1784), explored California
- Peter Pond, (c. 1739 - 1807), Northwest Canada
- Mungo Park (1771-1806), Scottish explorer of Western Equatorial Africa
- Zebulon Pike, (1779-1813), explored Louisiana Purchase, Pikes Peak
- Nathaniel Pryor, (c. 1785-1850), US explorer
- William Parry, (1790-1855), Arctic explorer
- John Wesley Powell, (1834-1902), explorer, environmentalist
- Paul Pelliot, French explorer of Central Asia
- Nicholas Michailovitch Prjevalsky, (1839-1888), Russian explorer in central and eastern Asia
- Robert Edwin Peary, (1856-1920), first man to reach the North Pole
- Auguste Piccard, (1884-1962), physicist and explorer
- Serpa Pinto (19th century Portuguese explorer and soldier in Africa)
- Jacques Piccard, (born 1922), undersea explorer
Q
- Pedro Fernandes de Queiroz (1565-1614), Portuguese seaman and explorer of the south-west Pacific, some have claimed he discovered Australia
R
- Diogo Rodrigues (16th century Portuguese explorer of the Indian Ocean)
- John Rae, (1813-1893), travelled widely through the Canadian Arctic
- Walter Raleigh, (1554?-1618), English explorer
- James Clark Ross, (1800-1862), Scottish explorer
- Cândido Rondon, (1865-1958), Explored the Amazon with Teddy Roosevelt
S
- Diogo Silves (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
- Pêro de Sintra (15th century Portuguese explorer of the African coast)
- João de Santarém (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
- Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
- Martim Afonso de Sousa (16th century Portuguese explorer and soldier in India)
- René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, (1643-1687) French merchant and explorer, explored Great Lakes, navigated Mississippi and looked for its delta
- Robert Falcon Scott, (1868-1912), reached the South Pole less than one month after Amundsen, but died on the return voyage
- Tibor Sekelj Croatia, South America
- Mirko Seljan (1821-1912?(3)), Croatia,( Ethiopia, South America)
- Stjepan Seljan (1873-1936), Croatia, (Ethiopia, South America)
- Scylax of Caryanda - a Greek explorer sent by the king of Persia to sail down the Indus River and around Arabia to Egypt
- Ernest Shackleton, (1874-1922), attempted to reach the South Pole and went further south than anyone before him
- William Smith (born around 1775), discovered South Shetland Islands
- Hernando de Soto, (died 1542), explorer
- John Hanning Speke, (1827-1864), discovered Lake Victoria
- Henry Morton Stanley, (1841-1904), successfully searched for Livingstone in Africa; later explored Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River
- William Stairs, (1863-1892), Victorian explorer, discovered one source of the Nile River, first non-African to ever climb in the Ruwenzori.
- Marc Aurel Stein, Hungarian explorer of Central Asia
- John Lloyd Stephens (1805-1852) explored Middle East, Central America
- John McDouall Stuart (1815-1866), Scottish explorer of inland Australia
- Charles Sturt - Australian explorer
- Sir Paul Edmund Strzelecki, (1793-1873), Polish explorer and geologist
- Ignacije Szentmartony (1718-1793), Croatia (Jesuit, astronomer), Amazon, Brazil
T
- Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir, female explorer of the Middle Ages
- Tristão Vaz Teixeira (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
- Nuno Tristão (15th century Portuguese explorer of the West African coast)
- Luis Váez de Torres (16th century/17th century Portuguese explorer of south-west Pacific)
- Pedro Teixeira (17th century Portuguese explorer of the Amazon river)
- Abel Tasman, (1603-1659), discovered Tasmania and New Zealand
- Yermak Timofeyevich, Russian cossack, explored West Siberia and claimed it for Russia
V
- Gonçalo Velho (15th century portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)
- Paulo Dias de Novais (16th century portuguese explorer and colonizer of Africa)
- George Vancouver, (1757-1798), British Royal Navy captain; explored the Pacific coast of North America, naming many locations in the Pacific Northwest.
- Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye (1685-1749), French Canadian military officer, fur trader and explorer, explored Western Canada
- Giovanni da Verrazano, (died 1528), sea explorer
- Amerigo Vespucci, (1454-1512), discovered other parts of America and gave his name to the new continent
- Ruy López de Villalobos. Spanish; explored the Pacific and the Philippines, which he named after Philip II of Spain
- Willem de Vlamingh (1640-?). Dutch; in 1696 and 1697 he charted the coast of north-west Australia.
W
- Jean-Frédéric Waldeck, (1766-1875), French antiquarian, artist, explorer
- Walker, Thomas (Explorer), medical doctor and early explorer of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains
- Langdon Warner, American explorer of Central Asia
- Harry de Windt Explorer, adventurer and author.
Y
- Sir Francis Younghusband, (1863-1942), India and Tibet
Z
- Zhang Qian - spent 12 years starting in 138 BC exploring much of Central Asia for Emperor Han Wu Di
- Zheng He, (1371-1435), Chinese admiral who travelled widely over the Indian Ocean and other seas, reaching Africa and Arabia and many other countries
- João Gonçalves Zarco (15th century Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic islands)