Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian explorer who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean under the patronage of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. Seeking a western sea route to Asia, he instead landed in the Bahamas in October 1492, initiating European exploration and colonization of the Americas. Though he believed he had reached the East Indies, he had actually encountered a continent unknown to Europeans. His voyages opened the way for widespread European exploration and the Columbian Exchange. Columbus made his first landing on which Caribbean island, which he named San Salvador?

Ferdinand Magellan (c. 1480-1521) was a Portuguese explorer who organized the Spanish expedition to the East Indies that resulted in the first circumnavigation of the Earth. Sailing from Spain in 1519 with five ships, he discovered the strait now named after him at the southern tip of South America—the Strait of Magellan—connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Though Magellan was killed in the Philippines, one ship, the Victoria, completed the circumnavigation in 1522 under Juan Sebastián Elcano. What ocean did Magellan name because of its calm waters during his passage?

Captain James Cook (1728-1779) was a British explorer, navigator, and cartographer who made three voyages to the Pacific Ocean. He was the first European to map the eastern coastline of Australia, the first to circumnavigate New Zealand, and the first to cross the Antarctic Circle. Cook used his skills in charting and astronomy to produce accurate maps that remained in use for centuries. He died in a confrontation with Native Hawaiians at Kealakekua Bay in 1779. Cook's ship on his first voyage of discovery (1768-1771) was named what?

Marco Polo (1254-1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer who traveled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. He spent 17 years in the court of Kublai Khan, the Mongol ruler of China. His book, "The Travels of Marco Polo," introduced Europeans to Central Asia and China, describing paper money, coal, and other wonders. While some historians debate the accuracy of his accounts, his writings inspired future explorers, including Christopher Columbus, who carried a annotated copy of Polo's book. Which dynasty ruled China during Marco Polo's stay in Kublai Khan's court?

Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) was a Moroccan Berber scholar and explorer who is considered one of the greatest travelers in history. Over a period of 30 years, he journeyed approximately 73,000 miles (117,000 km), visiting most of the Islamic world and beyond—including North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Africa, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and China. At the request of the Marinid ruler of Morocco, his travels were recorded in a book titled "A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling." Ibn Battuta was born in which Moroccan city?

Vasco da Gama (c. 1460-1524) was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea, linking Europe and Asia for the first time by ocean route. Sailing around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, he landed at Calicut (now Kozhikode) on the Malabar Coast in May 1498. His voyage opened the sea route to Asia, allowing Portugal to establish a colonial empire and bypass the overland Silk Road controlled by Muslim and Italian powers. Da Gama later served as Portuguese Viceroy of India. Which African cape, rounded by da Gama's fleet, was originally named the "Cape of Storms" before being renamed?

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first expedition to traverse the Northwest Passage (1903-1906) and, in 1911, became the first person to reach the South Pole, beating British explorer Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated team by 35 days. Amundsen also flew over the North Pole in an airship in 1926, making him the first person to have reached both geographic poles. He disappeared in 1928 while participating in a rescue mission in the Arctic. Amundsen's South Pole expedition used what primary mode of transport that proved superior to Scott's ponies?

Zheng He (1371-1433) was a Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat, and fleet admiral during China's Ming Dynasty. Between 1405 and 1433, he commanded seven epic voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. His fleet included hundreds of massive "treasure ships" (reportedly up to 400 feet long) and thousands of sailors. Zheng He collected tribute from foreign rulers and brought back exotic animals, including giraffes to China. His expeditions ended after the Ming court reversed its maritime policies. Zheng He was originally born into which ethnic and religious minority?

The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806), commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson after the Louisiana Purchase, was the first American overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led the Corps of Discovery across the newly acquired territory, traveling from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean near present-day Astoria, Oregon. The expedition mapped the territory, established diplomatic relations with Native American tribes, and collected scientific data on plants, animals, and geography. A Shoshone woman who served as interpreter and guide for the expedition was named what?

Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon. As commander of NASA's Apollo 11 mission, he and Buzz Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the Moon's surface on July 20, 1969. Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface, declaring: "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy's 1961 goal of landing a man on the Moon before the decade's end. What was the name of the Apollo 11 command module that remained in lunar orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the surface?