World Explorer Figures, These 6 Are The Most Famous

Ibn Battuta traveled to various corners of the world during the Middle Ages over a period of 30 years. (Photo Source: Intisari.grid)

INDEPHEDIA.com - Before transportation facilities were as sophisticated as today, in ancient times there were people who were willing and successful in exploring this world.

The success of these figures who explored parts of the world, some of whom even discovered new continents, made their names go down in history and become legends of all time.

These explorer figures include Xuan Zang, Bartholomeus Diaz, John Cabot, Roald Amundsen, Captain James Cook and Amerigo Vespucci.

Then, other explorers were Juan Sebastian del Cano, Sir Francis Drake, Thomas Cavendish, Sir James Lancaster, William Dampier and several other figures.

Here are 6 (six) of the most famous world explorers apart from the figures above.

Vasco da Gama

Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who was born in 1460 or 1469 in Sines or Vidigueira, Alentejo, Kingdom of Portugal.

Vasco da Gama played an important role in establishing maritime trade between Portugal and India.

He succeeded in finding a sea route connecting Europe to India via the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.

In his first voyage, Vasco da Gama departed from Portugal in 1487 and reached India in 1498.

This Portuguese explorer was an important figure who first introduced pepper and cinnamon to Europe.

Apart from being a successful trader, Vasco is also a famous figure for building colonial empires in Asia and India.

On his second voyage, Vasco had a violent war with rival traders, because he was considered responsible for the murder of 400 Muslim pilgrims in a burning ship.

Vasco da Gama died in 1524 from malaria shortly after arriving in Goa and died in Cochin City on Christmas Eve 1524.

His body was first buried in St. Mary's Church. Francis, Fort Kochi, Kochi, and later the skeleton was moved to Portugal in 1539.

His body was reburied in a beautiful cemetery in Vidigueira. The Hieronymy Monastery in Belém was built in honor of his voyage to India.

Alfonso de Albuquerque

After following Vasco da Gama's path, Alfonso de Albuquerque reached India in 1503. However, only a year later, he had to return to Portugal.

In 1509, de Albuquerque was appointed Portuguese Governor of India. Within a year of taking office, he succeeded in conquering the Kingdom of Goa on the west coast of India.

Two years later, namely in 1511, he also succeeded in conquering the Kingdom of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula.

Marco Polo

Marco Polo (sometimes written Marcopolo; pronounced Markopolo) was a merchant from Venice who was born in 1254.

He was a merchant as well as an adventurer and author who traveled to various corners of Asia via the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295.

His four year journey to Asia succeeded in influencing major trade in Europe and East India.

Although not the first European to set foot in China, he was the first European to leave a chronological record of his experiences in China.

Marco Polo's adventures became a source of inspiration for Christopher Columbus and many other travelers.

Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta is considered the greatest traveler in world history. He was a Moroccan sailor who was born in 1304.

Ibn Battuta or Muhammad bin Batutah, full name Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Lawati At-Tanji bin Batutah.

He traveled to various corners of the world during the Middle Ages over a period of 30 years.

Battuta explored much of the Islamic world and many non-Muslim lands, including North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and China.

Towards the end of his life, he recounted his experiences exploring the world to be recorded under the title "A Gift for Observers of Foreign Lands and Miraculous Experiences".

Ibn Battuta's travel history provides an overview of Medieval civilization which is still used as a reference source to this day.

Ibn Battuta died in Morocco in 1368 or 1369 in the Marin era at the age of 64 or 65 years.

Christopher Columbus

In 1472, with the help of King Ferdinand of Spain, Christopher Columbus and 120 crew members sailed to discover a new world.

Columbus tackled at Watling's Island in the Bahamas. Subsequently, he named it San Salvador.

Next, Columbus explored Cuba, Jamaica and Haiti. He also saw mainland South America on the third screen and explored Trinidad, Tobago and Grenada.

His last voyage was recorded in 1502, where he reached Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras.

Ferdinand Magellan

Ferdinand Magellan (Fernando de Magellan) was the first explorer in history to circumnavigate the world and the first voyage to cross the Pacific Ocean.

Born into a Portuguese family in 1480, he was appointed by the king of Spain to discover a passage to the Maluku islands, located west of New Guinea in 1505.

In 1519, about five ships carrying 270 crew members left Spain under Magellan's command.

They traveled through the Canary Islands, Brazil, Ecuador and the Cape Virgins. The long 600 kilometer section near Cape Virgins is currently recognized as the Strait of Magellan.

The expedition reached the Philippines in 1521, which was the first European exploration to reach that place.

Unfortunately, Magellan could not complete his entire voyage, because he was killed in the 'Battle of Mactan' in 1521 in the Philippines. (*)