As an explorer, John Smith navigated the rivers between the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia. One of the men responsible for establishing the earliest settlement for the English in North America. They explored the western United States beginning in Missouri through the Mississippi to the Pacific coast.ДЇamous For: Exploring Virginia and Chesapeake Bay rivers This took place just after the United States completed of the Louisiana Purchase. US Army volunteers Second Lieutenant William Clark and Captain Meriwether Lewis led the Corps of Discovery Expedition in 1804. It must be noted that Cortes used his own money for the expeditions he undertook, leaving him heavily in debt.ДЇamous For: The exploration of the western United States Most notably, he is known for his overthrow of the Aztec empire. Cortes was successful in reaching Mayan territory along the Yucatan Peninsula, leading to his conquest of Mexico. Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes conquered and colonized parts of South America. His name has been associated to not just things explored during his voyages, but to the stars and galaxies above us as well. He discovered the Philippines where we was also killed in what is known as the Battle of Mactan. All in all, between 14, Columbus sailed between Spain and the Americas.ДЇamous For: First circumnavigation expeditionДЇerdinand Magellan was the first sailor to circumnavigate the seas from the Atlantic Ocean and cross the Pacific Ocean. During his first voyage, he led three Spanish galleons, the NiГ±a, Pinta, and the Santa Maria. As one of the pioneers of the Age of Exploration, he became Governor of India in 1524.ДЇamous For: Discovery and colonization of the AmericasДЄlthough Italian by birth, maritime explorer Christopher Columbus sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and discovered the Americas under the Spanish emperorвЂ™s name. Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama was commander of one of the sailing ships that ventured into India from Europe. Marco explored the continent of Asia where he met Kublai Khan. In a book entitled The Travels of Marco Polo, the adventures and journey of the man is detailed. The name of Venice native Marco Polo is forever linked to the world of exploration. Before becoming an astronaut with NASA, he was a Naval Aviator, officer in the US Navy, and a test pilot.ДЇamous For: Explored Asia and first European to meet Kublai Khan Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)ДЎ969, the whole world heard these words, вЂњThatвЂ™s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.вЂќ Neil Armstrong holds the distinction of being the first man to walk on the moon. Read our list below, which is organized in order of prominence and importance, to find out more about what these seekers contributed for the sake of humankind. From ColumbusвЂ™ discovery of the Americas to HillaryвЂ™s quest up Mount Everest, the names of these great pioneers will remain important for centuries to come as the most famous explorers of all time. In some cases, they risked their lives to make their contributions recognized by the world. There are many people throughout history who had the spirit of an adventurer and decided to explore the unknown.

Explorers 1985 poster