The best traveler. History of travel: famous travelers of the era of geographical discoveries. Russian travelers - explorers of the planet

These people sailed to the horizon, crossed oceans, unknown lakes and uncharted valleys in search of new countries, riches and adventures. Among the most famous travelers in world history who explored our planet, discovering new lands, are Roald Amundsen, Christopher Columbus and 7 other outstanding personalities.

A Norwegian explorer who undertook several expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic and, together with his team, on December 14, 1911, after an exhausting race with a competitor, Robert Falcon Scott, became the first person to reach the geographic South Pole. Previously, Roal was the first to cross the Northwest Passage (1903-1906).

He was born on July 16, 1872 in the Norwegian city of Borg and died on June 18, 1928 at the age of 55 near Bear Island in the Arctic.

An English polar traveler, a naval officer, who reached the South Pole with his escort on 01/17/1912, about a month after Amundsen's competitor. Robert's first expedition, during which he explored Victoria Land and the Ross Ice Shelf, took place in 1901-1904.

He was born on June 6, 1868 in Devonport (Plymouth, England). He passed away on March 29, 1912 (aged 43) at the base camp in Antarctica.

3. . The famous British navigator and discoverer, who first mapped Newfoundland and became the first European to discover east coast Australia and Hawaii. Over the course of three voyages, James explored Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic coast to the Bering Strait.

Born November 7, 1728 in Marton (Middlesbrough, England). 02/14/1779 was killed at the age of 50 by the natives of Hawaii in Kileikkua (Big Island, United States).

4. . Portuguese sailor, who, on the instructions of the Spanish king in 1519, went to circumnavigation heading west. So Fernand discovered the Strait of Magellan, later named after him, located at the upper tip of South America. He was not destined to tell about the discovery at home. In 1522, only a few members of the team returned to Portugal.

He was born in 1480 in Sabroz (Vila Real). On April 27, 1521, at the age of 41, he died at the hands of aborigines on the island of Mactan in the Philippines.

5. . One of the most famous Portuguese sailors and pioneers who found a sea route to India in 1498 on behalf of Henry the Navigator. On the flagship São Gabriel, accompanied by two other ships (São Rafael und Bérrio), Vasco rounded the cape Good Hope and returned in 1499 home to Lisbon. The sailors filled the holds to the top with sacks of spices.

Vasco was born in Sines (Setubal) in 1469 and died in Kochi (India) on December 24, 1524 at the age of 55.

6. . Florentine navigator, navigator, merchant and cartographer. For the first time he suggested that the part of the world found by Christopher Columbus and later called "America" ​​is a previously unknown continent. The name associated with the name "Amerigo" was proposed by the Freiburg im Breisgau cartographer Martin Waldseemüller.

A Florentine was born on March 9, 1451 in Florence (Republic of Florence, now Italy). He died at the age of 60 in Seville (Spain) on February 22, 1512.

7. . The most famous sea traveler from Genoa, who, on behalf of Spain, crossed four times Atlantic Ocean looking for something lighter sea ​​route to India, eventually opening the continent America for Europeans (1492), which began the era of colonization. During the first expedition, in which the ships Pinta, Niña and Santa Maria, Christopher after 36 days accidentally discovered the island of San Salvador in the Caribbean Sea.

He was born in 1451 in Genoa (Republic of Genoa, now a province of Italy). He died on May 20, 1506 in Valladolid (Spain), when he was 55 years old.

8. . A Venetian merchant who documented his travels and often backed up what he saw with evidence. Thanks to him, Europeans learned about Central Asia and China. According to Marco, he lived at the court of the Chinese emperor Kubla Khan for 24 years, but historians doubt this. The name Polo inspired the discoverers of the following generations.

Born in 1254 in Venice (Republic of Venice, now Italy) and died there at the age of 70 on January 8, 1324.

Scandinavian navigator who reached the North American continent 5 centuries before Columbus. In the 11th century, he sailed to it on his ship and became the first European to set foot on this land. Leif dubbed the found territory Vinland. The Scandinavian established trade relations between Greenland, Norway and Scotland.

Ericsson had a fiery temperament. Born in Iceland in 970, and died on the island of Greenland at the age of 50 in 1020.

(nicknamed Red). Norwegian-Icelandic navigator and discoverer. For the murder in 982 he was expelled from Iceland for 3 years and, making a sea voyage, came across the western coast of Greenland, where he founded the first Viking settlement in 985. Eirik called the discovered territory "green land".

Although in Russian the nickname of the Norman is translated as "red", historians believe that in fact it means "bloody". Thorvaldson was born in 950 in Jären (Norway). He died in 1003 at the age of 53 in Brattalida (Greenland).

These people made important discoveries, influencing the course of history. They explored the Arctic and Antarctic, "gave" the Europeans North America, Greenland and other lands. Travelers paved new sea and land routes that facilitated trade between countries.

One of the important stages in the history of human development is the era of discoverers. The maps with the seas marked on them are being refined, the ships are being improved, and the leaders are sending their sailors to seize new lands.

In contact with

Era Feature

The term "great geographical discoveries" conditionally combined historical events, starting from the middle of the 15th century and ending with the middle of the 17th. Europeans were actively engaged in the exploration of new lands.

For the emergence of this era, there were prerequisites: the search for new trade routes and the development of navigation. Until the 15th century, the British already knew North America with Iceland. Many have gone down in history famous travelers, among whom was Afanasy Nikitin, Rubrik and others.

Important! Began great era geographical discoveries Prince of Portugal Henry the Navigator, this event took place at the beginning of the 15th century.

First Accomplishments

Geographical science of that time was in serious decline. Lone sailors tried to share their discoveries with the public, but this did not work, and there was more fiction in their stories than truth. Data on what and who discovered at sea or on the coastal strip were lost and forgotten, no one had updated the maps for a long time. Skippers were simply afraid to go to sea, because not everyone had navigation skills.

Heinrich built a citadel near Cape Sagres, created a school of navigation and sent expeditions, collecting information about the winds in the sea, distant peoples and shores. The period of great geographical discoveries began with his activities.

Among the discoveries of Portuguese travelers are:

1. Madeira Island,
2. west coast of africa,
3. Cape Verde,
4. Cape of Good Hope,
5. Azores,
6. Congo river.

Why was it necessary to find new lands

The list of reasons for the advent of the era of navigation includes:

• active development of crafts and trade;
• the growth of European cities during the 15th and 16th centuries;
• depletion of known precious metal mines;
• the development of maritime navigation and the advent of the compass;
• interruption of the economic ties of Southern Europe with China and India after .

Important Points

Significant periods that went down in history, the times when famous travelers made their trips and expeditions:

The era of great geographical discoveries began in 1492, when America was discovered;

• 1500 - exploration of the mouth of the Amazon;
• 1513 - Vasco de Balboa discovers the Pacific Ocean;
• 1519-1553 - the conquest of South America;
• 1576-1629 - Russian campaigns in Siberia;
• 1603-1638 - exploration of Canada;
• 1642-1643 - visiting Tasmania and New Zealand;
• 1648 - study of Kamchatka.

Conquest of South America

Spanish and Portuguese navigators

At the same time as the Portuguese, famous travelers of Spain began to undertake sea voyages. , having good knowledge in the field of geography and navigation, suggested that the rulers of the country reach India by another route, following west across the Atlantic Ocean. The one who later discovered many new lands was given three caravels, on which brave sailors left the port on August 3, 1492.

Already by the beginning of October, they arrived at the first island, which became known as San Salvador, later they discovered Haiti and Cuba. It was a fruitful journey of Columbus, as a result of which caribbean. Then there were two more, pointing the way to Central and South America.

Christopher Columbus - a mysterious person

First he visited the island of Cuba, and only then discovered America. Columbus was surprised to meet on the island a civilized people who had a rich culture, were engaged in the cultivation of cotton, tobacco and potatoes. Cities decorated big statues and large buildings.

Interesting! Everyone knows the name of Christopher Columbus. However, very little is known about his life and travels.

About the birth of this legendary navigator are still arguing. Several cities claim to be the birthplace of Columbus, but this is no longer known for certain. He took part in boat trips mediterranean sea, and later went on large expeditions from his native Portugal.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan was also from Portugal. Born in 1480. Early left without parents, he tried to survive on his own, working as a messenger. Since childhood, he was attracted by the sea, attracted by the thirst for travel and discovery.

At the age of 25, Ferdinand set sail for the first time. He quickly learned the maritime profession while staying off the coast of India and soon became a captain. He wanted to return to his homeland, talking about beneficial cooperation with the East, but he achieved results only with the coming to power of Charles the First.

Important! The era of great geographical discoveries began in the middle of the 15th century. Magellan prevented her attack by making trip around the world.

In 1493 Magellan leads an expedition west of Spain. He has a goal: to prove that the islands located there belong to his country. No one thought that the journey would become around the world, and the navigator would discover many new things along the way. The one who opened the way to the "South Sea" did not return home, but died in the Philippines. His team arrived at home only in 1522.

Russian pioneers

Representatives of Russia and their discoveries joined the orderly ranks of the famous European navigators. Several outstanding personalities have made a great contribution to the improvement of the world map, which are worth knowing about.

Thaddeus Bellingshausen

Bellingshausen was the first who dared to lead an expedition to the uncharted shores of Antarctica, and around the world. This event took place in 1812. The navigator set out to prove or disprove the existence of the sixth mainland, which was only talked about. The expedition crossed the Indian Ocean, Pacific, Atlantic. Its participants made a great contribution to the development of geography. The expedition under the command of Captain 2nd Rank Bellingshausen lasted 751 days.

Interesting! Previously, attempts were made to get to Antarctica, but they all failed, only Russian famous travelers turned out to be more lucky and stubborn.

The navigator Bellingshausen went down in history as the discoverer of many species of animals and more than 20 major islands. The captain was one of the few who managed to find their way, follow it and not destroy the barriers.

Nikolai Przhevalsky

Among the Russian travelers was the one who discovered most Central Asia. Nikolai Przhevalsky always dreamed of visiting unexplored Asia. This continent beckoned him. The navigator led each of the four expeditions that explored Central Asia. Curiosity led to the discovery and study of such mountain systems like Kun-Lun and the ranges of Northern Tibet. The sources of the Yangtze and Huang He rivers, as well as Lob-nora and Kuhu-nora were investigated. Nikolai was the second explorer after Marco Polo to reach Lob-nor.

Przhevalsky, like others / travelers of the era of great geographical discoveries, considered himself a happy person, because fate gave him the opportunity to explore mysterious countries Asian world. Many species of animals described by him during his travels are named after him.

The first Russian circumnavigation

Ivan Kruzenshtern and his colleague Yuri Lisyansky firmly inscribed their names in the history of great discoveries in geography. They led the first expedition around the globe, which lasted more than three years - from 1803 to 1806. During this period, sailors on two ships crossed the Atlantic, sailed through Cape Horn, after which they arrived in Kamchatka along the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There, researchers studied the Kuriles and Sakhalin Island. Their coast was clarified, and data on all the waters visited by the expedition were also entered on the map. Kruzenshtern compiled an atlas of the Pacific Ocean.

The expedition under the command of the admiral was the first to cross the equator. This event was celebrated according to tradition.

Exploration of the Eurasian continent

Eurasia - huge continent, but it is problematic to name the only person who would open it.

Surprise causes one moment. If everything is clear with America and Antarctica, the famous names of the great navigators are reliably inscribed in the history of their existence, then the man who discovered Europe did not get the laurels, because he simply does not exist.

If we discard the search for one navigator, then we can list many names who have contributed to the study of the surrounding world and took part in expeditions around the mainland and its coastal zone. Europeans are accustomed to consider themselves only explorers of Eurasia, but Asian navigators and their discoveries are no less in scope.

Historians know which of the Russian writers made a round-the-world trip, except for the famous navigators. It was Ivan Goncharov, who participated in the expedition on a military sailing ship. His impressions of the trip resulted in a large collection of diaries describing distant countries.

The Importance of Cartography

People could hardly move on the sea without good navigation. Previously, their main reference point was the starry sky at night and the sun during the day. Many maps during the period of great geographical discoveries were dependent on the sky. Since the 17th century, a map has been preserved on which the scientist plotted all known coastal zones and continents, but Siberia and North America remained unknown, because no one knew how far they were and how far the continents themselves extended.

The atlases of Gerard van Köhlen were the richest in terms of information. Captains and famous travelers crossing the Atlantic were grateful for the charting of details about Iceland, Holland and Labrador.

Unusual information

Interesting facts about travelers have been preserved in history:

1. James Cook became the first person to visit all six continents.
2. Seafarers and their discoveries changed the face of many lands, so James Cook brought sheep to the islands of Tahiti and New Zealand.
3. Che Guevara, before his revolutionary activities, was a lover of riding a motorcycle, he made a tour of 4 thousand kilometers, having traveled South America.
4. Charles Darwin traveled by ship, where he wrote his greatest work on evolution. But they didn’t want to take the man on board, and it was in the shape of the nose. It seemed to the captain that such a person would not be able to cope with a long load. Darwin had to be off the team and buy his own uniforms.

The era of the great geographical discoveries 15-17 centuries

Great pioneers

Conclusion

Thanks to the heroism and purposefulness of the sailors, people received valuable information about the world. This served as an impetus for many changes, contributed to the development of trade, the industrial sector, and the strengthening of relations with other peoples. Most importantly, it has been practically proven that it has a rounded shape.

Would you like to travel around the world at least once? Almost everyone will answer this almost rhetorical question in the affirmative. There are happy people in our world who do not set the goal of their whole life to earn capital in a stuffy office, do not stick around all day on the Internet, do not watch TV shows season after season at night, but admire the various corners of our planet, the diversity of its peoples and beauties.

If you think that with the departure of the Age of Discovery, outstanding travelers have sunk into oblivion, then you are mistaken! Our contemporaries also made and are making the most amazing journeys. Among them are scientists who went in search of evidence for their theories, researchers sea ​​depths, and just adventurers who ventured to travel around the world alone or with like-minded people. Much has been written about their travels. documentaries, and thanks to them, we can see the whole world through their eyes, real, alive, full of dangers and adventures.

1. Jim Shekdar

A native Englishman, he began to travel and get acquainted with the culture of other countries since childhood, at the age of 7 he moved to live in India. Cheerful and desperate Englishman, inspired transatlantic passage on the boat of two more noble English gentlemen, Sir Charles Blyth and John Ridgway, decided to do it himself.

After several attempts, he nevertheless accomplishes his plan with his friend Jason Jackson in 65 days, having passed the entire Atlantic Ocean on a rowboat. It becomes not enough for Shekdar and he decides to conquer the Pacific Ocean, and moreover, alone, in a way that no one has done.

Having loaded his boat with provisions for 8 months, he sails from Peru, and after numerous encounters with sharks, collisions with a tanker and a 9-month journey on the remnants of provisions, the courageous Jim with arthritis of the hip joint reaches the "opposite shore", and with a breaking wave on the island of the point of arrival , his boat covers, and the last meters to the land, which he had not seen for 270 days, the traveler overcame by swimming.

2. Palkiewicz Jacek

A stern and strong-willed Italian-Polish traveler, an Italian journalist and writer, all his life he made the most desperate and extreme transitions, such as: on camels through the Gobi and Sahara desert, on deer - to the North Pole, on an Indian pie and lifeboat- Across the Atlantic Ocean.

This great person in 1996, as a member of the Russian Geographical Society, he made the last major discovery of the 20th century - he lengthened the Amazon River by 700 km, further exploring its sources, thus dropping the Nile from first place in length.

Being an honorary member, an honorary citizen, a friend of peoples, tribes, peoples, ethnic groups and communities in various parts of the Earth, in 2010 Palkevich receives a golden cross for his merits from the hands of the Pope himself.

3. Carlo Mauri

Another Italian and iron-willed man first tried himself in mountaineering, having made his first ascent at the age of 15. Then, having tasted the charm of travel, he began to conquer Mont Blanc, the mountains of Tierra del Fuego and others. impregnable mountains in Chile.

Later, in the Karakorum mountains, he will overcome the summit at 7925 m. Then, after numerous injuries, foot fractures, rupture internal organs, Mauri still gains new strength and participates in the expeditions of Thor Heyerdahl on his famous papyrus boats.

Already further there will be outstanding historical expeditions with poor health, at the limit of human capabilities: in the footsteps of Marco Polo, through the lands of Patagonia and the Amazon. Almost lying on a hospital bed, this man does not calm down and writes a book about his adventures, having passed away, alas, too early - at 52, in 1982.

4. Yuri Senkevich

A record-breaking TV presenter, with his program “Travellers Club”, he really got into history, enlightening the Soviet and Russian people about the corners of the diverse and beautiful world that are inaccessible to them. After a number of outstanding and dangerous expeditions, including the Antarctic one, he was invited by Thor Heyerdahl to join the team for an expedition to papyrus boat"Ra-2".

Later, together in Heyerdahl, they will conquer the Indian Ocean on a reed boat, and then there will be climbing Everest, polar expeditions. Unlike others, he was always in a hurry to share his discoveries with others, doing a tremendous job of processing the accumulated material into a television broadcast format upon his return from travel.

Until his death, in 2003, Sienkiewicz worked and traveled, despite his age, and did a lot to increase the number of travelers in the world.

5. Thor Heyerdahl

The Norwegian traveler-record holder, as a child was very afraid of water until the age of 22, when he fell into the water, he still managed to swim out on his own. Having eliminated the main problem, Tour begins his career as a professional traveler in Polynesia, getting acquainted with the local life of the indigenous people.

There he finds the Second World War and Heyerdahl volunteers for the front. Having finished fighting, the Tour organizes expeditions to conquer the Pacific Ocean and a grandiose trip to Easter Island, and even later travels on the Ra and Ra-2 boats that went down in history.

Further tireless traveler explored the most different corners of the globe - Oceania, Iceland, North Arctic Ocean, forever writing his name in history as a name the greatest traveler all times and peoples.

6. Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Captain Cousteau is a famous French explorer of the World Ocean, author of books and films, inventor. The oceans revealed many of its secrets, showed the beauty of its depths still inaccessible to people for a huge number of diving enthusiasts. We can say that Captain Cousteau is the father of modern diving, because it was he who created the main apparatus for diving. Being engaged in research of the underwater world of our planet, Cousteau created the famous floating laboratory "Callisto" and the first apparatus for diving "Denise". Jacques-Yves Cousteau captivated millions of people by showing them on movie screens how beautiful undersea world, giving the opportunity to see what was still inaccessible to man.

7. Nikolai Drozdov

More than 40 years ago, Nikolai Nikolaevich Drozdov became the host of the popular TV show "In the Animal World". An avid traveler, a "gallant know-it-all", who spends hours talking about animals as the most wonderful and beautiful creatures in the world - be it an elephant, a bug, or even a poisonous snake. An amazing and wonderful person, the idol of millions of viewers of our country, listening to stories about interesting facts from the life of birds, reptiles, domestic and wild animals, about the beauty of our nature - and an incomparable pleasure, because only a person in love with life can talk like that. An interesting fact about Nikolai Nikolayevich himself is that his great-great-great-grandfather was Metropolitan Filaret of Moscow, and his maternal great-great-grandfather Ivan Romanovich von Dreiling was an orderly of Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov.

Nikolai Drozdov traveled the whole world, all zoological and National parks, studying the habitats and habits of animals in natural conditions, climbed Elbrus, participated in a long expedition on the research vessel Callisto and in the first Soviet expedition to Everest, twice went to the North Pole, traveled along the Northern Sea Route on the icebreaker Yamal, sailed along the coasts of Alaska and Canada on the Discoverer.

8. Fedor Konyukhov

A lone traveler who conquered what seemed impossible to conquer, more than once overcame a path that could not be walked alone - the great contemporary Fyodor Konyukhov. The first among travelers who conquered the North and South Poles, the seas, oceans and highest peaks world, which is proved by more than 40 expeditions made by him to the most inaccessible places on our planet. Among them are five round-the-world trips, a solo voyage across the Atlantic (which, by the way, he crossed more than once) on a rowboat. Konyukhov was the first to cross the Pacific Ocean from continent to continent. But the life of our famous compatriot is not filled with travel alone - Fedor Konyukhov became the youngest member of the Union of Artists of the USSR and the author of twelve travel books. There were new plans ahead: a flight around the world on hot-air balloon and circumnavigating the world in 80 days for the Jules Verne Cup, as well as diving into Mariana Trench. However, having accepted the priesthood in 2010, Fedor Konyukhov decided not to travel anymore, but ... the ways of the Lord are inscrutable and famous traveler again at the helm. In the spring of this year, he “beat” the Russian record and stayed in the air on a balloon for 19 hours and 10 minutes.

9. Bear Grylls

Fame came to the young English traveler thanks to the highest-rated television show on the Discovery channel, Survive at Any Cost, which first aired in October 2006. TV presenter and traveler not just "entertains" the audience great views most amazing places planet, its goal is to bring to the audience life recommendations that may come in handy in unforeseen situations.

The list of his travels is respectable: he sailed around british isles in thirty days, crossed in an inflatable boat North Atlantic, flew over the Angel Falls in a steam-powered plane, flew over the Himalayas on a paraglider, led an expedition to one of the furthest unclimbed peaks in Antarctica, and arranged ... a gala dinner in a balloon at an altitude of more than seven thousand meters! Most of Grylls' expeditions are for charitable purposes.

10. Abby Sunderland

Not only men can boast of friendship with the wind of wanderings - Abby Sunderland, a young traveler who at the age of 16 alone made a trip around the world on a yacht, will give odds to many men. The determination of Abby's parents is surprising, because they not only allowed her to participate in such a dangerous enterprise, but also helped to prepare for it. Alas, the first start on January 23, 2010 was unsuccessful and Abby made a second attempt on February 6. The journey turned out to be more dangerous than expected: between Australia and Africa, 2 thousand miles from the coast, the yacht's hull was damaged and the engine failed. After this message, communication was interrupted, the search for Abby's yacht was unsuccessful, and she was declared missing. A whole month later, Australian rescuers in the zone of the most severe storm found the lost yacht and Abby alive and unharmed. Who then will say that a woman has no place on a ship?

11. Jason Lewis

And finally, the most original of modern travelers who spent 13 years on a round-the-world trip! Why so long? The simple fact is that Jason refused any kind of technology and all sorts of achievements of civilization. The former janitor, along with his friend Steve Smith, went around the world on a bicycle, boat and rollerblades! The expedition started from Greenwich in 1994, in February 1995 the travelers reached the shores of the United States and after 111 days of sailing decided to cross America separately on roller skates. Lewis had to interrupt the journey for 9 months after an accident. After recovering, Lewis goes to Hawaii, from where he sails on a pedal boat to Australia, where he had to spend some time earning money for onward travel… selling T-shirts. In 2005, he reaches Singapore, then crosses China and India on a bicycle. By March 2007, he reached Africa and also crossed all of Europe on a bicycle: Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany and Belgium. Having crossed the English Channel, in October 2007, Jason Lewis returned to London.

Travel has always attracted people, but before they were not only interesting, but also extremely difficult. The territories were not explored, and, setting off on a journey, everyone became an explorer. Which travelers are the most famous and what exactly did each of them discover?

James Cook

The famous Englishman was one of the best cartographers of the eighteenth century. He was born in the north of England and by the age of thirteen he began to work with his father. But the boy was unable to trade, so he decided to take up navigation. In those days, all the famous travelers of the world went to distant countries on ships. James became interested in maritime affairs and moved up the career ladder so quickly that he was offered to become a captain. He refused and went to the Royal Navy. Already in 1757, the talented Cook began to manage the ship himself. His first achievement was the drawing up of the fairway of the St. Lawrence River. He discovered in himself the talent of a navigator and cartographer. In the 1760s he explored Newfoundland, which attracted the attention of the Royal Society and the Admiralty. He was assigned to travel across the Pacific Ocean, where he reached the shores of New Zealand. In 1770, he did something that other famous travelers had not achieved before - he discovered new mainland. In 1771, Cook returned to England as the famous pioneer of Australia. His last journey was an expedition in search of a passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Today, even schoolchildren know the sad fate of Cook, who was killed by cannibal natives.

Christopher Columbus

Famous travelers and their discoveries have always had a significant impact on the course of history, but few have been as famous as this man. Columbus became a national hero of Spain, decisively expanding the map of the country. Christopher was born in 1451. The boy quickly achieved success because he was diligent and studied well. Already at the age of 14 he went to sea. In 1479, he met his love and began life in Portugal, but after the tragic death of his wife, he went with his son to Spain. Having received the support of the Spanish king, he went on an expedition, the purpose of which was to find a way to Asia. Three ships sailed from the coast of Spain to the west. In October 1492 they reached Bahamas. This is how America was discovered. Christopher mistakenly decided to call the locals Indians, believing that he had reached India. His report changed history: two new continents and many islands, discovered by Columbus, became the main travel destination of the colonialists in the next few centuries.

Vasco da Gama

Portugal's most famous traveler was born in Sines on September 29, 1460. From a young age, he worked in the Navy and became famous as a confident and fearless captain. In 1495, King Manuel came to power in Portugal, who dreamed of developing trade with India. For this, a sea route was needed, in search of which Vasco da Gama had to go. The country had more famous sailors and travelers, but for some reason the king chose him. In 1497, four ships sailed south, rounded and sailed to Mozambique. I had to stay there for a month - half of the team had scurvy by that time. After a break, Vasco da Gama reached Calcutta. In India, he established trade relations for three months, and a year later he returned to Portugal, where he became a national hero. The opening of the sea route, which made it possible to get to Calcutta by east coast Africa, was his main achievement.

Nikolay Miklukho-Maclay

Famous Russian travelers also made a lot of important discoveries. For example, the same Nikolai Mikhlukho-Maclay, who was born in 1864 in the Novgorod province. He could not graduate from St. Petersburg University, as he was expelled for participating in student demonstrations. To continue his education, Nikolai went to Germany, where he met Haeckel, a naturalist who invited Miklouho-Maclay to his scientific expedition. So the world of wanderings opened up for him. His whole life was devoted to travel and scientific work. Nicholas lived in Sicily, Australia, studied New Guinea, embodying the project of the Russian Geographical Society, visited Indonesia, the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula and Oceania. In 1886, the naturalist returned to Russia and proposed to the emperor to establish a Russian colony across the ocean. But the project with New Guinea did not receive royal support, and Miklouho-Maclay fell seriously ill and soon died, without completing his work on a travel book.

Ferdinand Magellan

Many famous navigators and travelers lived in the era of the Great Magellan is no exception. In 1480 he was born in Portugal, in the city of Sabrosa. Having gone to serve at court (at that time he was only 12 years old), he learned about the confrontation between his native country and Spain, about traveling to the East Indies and trade routes. So he first became interested in the sea. In 1505, Fernand got on a ship. Seven years after that, he plied the sea, participated in expeditions to India and Africa. In 1513, Magellan went to Morocco, where he was wounded in battle. But this did not curb the craving for travel - he planned an expedition for spices. The king rejected his request, and Magellan went to Spain, where he received all the necessary support. Thus began his world tour. Fernand thought that from the west the route to India might be shorter. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean, reached South America and discovered the strait, which would later be named after him. became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. On it, he got to the Philippines and almost reached the goal - Moluccas, but died in battle with local tribes, wounded by a poisonous arrow. However, his journey opened Europe new ocean and understanding that the planet is much larger than scientists previously thought.

Roald Amundsen

The Norwegian was born at the very end of an era in which many famous travelers became famous. Amundsen was the last of the navigators who tried to find undiscovered lands. From childhood, he was distinguished by perseverance and self-confidence, which allowed him to conquer the South Geographic Pole. The beginning of the journey is connected with 1893, when the boy left the university and got a job as a sailor. In 1896 he became a navigator, and the following year he went on his first expedition to Antarctica. The ship was lost in the ice, the crew suffered from scurvy, but Amundsen did not give up. He took command, cured the people, remembering his medical background, and brought the ship back to Europe. Becoming a captain, in 1903 he went in search of Northwest Passage at Canada. Famous travelers before him had never done anything like this - in two years the team covered the path from the east of the American mainland to its west. Amundsen became known to the whole world. The next expedition was a two-month trip to the South Plus, and the last venture was the search for Nobile, during which he went missing.

David Livingston

Many famous travelers are connected with seafaring. he became a land explorer, namely the African continent. The famous Scot was born in March 1813. At the age of 20, he decided to become a missionary, met Robert Moffett and wished to go to African villages. In 1841 he came to Kuruman, where he taught local residents agriculture, served as a doctor and taught literacy. There he learned the Bechuan language, which helped him in his travels in Africa. Livingston studied in detail the life and customs of the locals, wrote several books about them and went on an expedition in search of the sources of the Nile, in which he fell ill and died of a fever.

Amerigo Vespucci

The most famous travelers in the world were most often from Spain or Portugal. Amerigo Vespucci was born in Italy and became one of the famous Florentines. He received a good education and trained to be a financier. From 1490 he worked in Seville, in the Medici trade mission. His life was associated with sea ​​voyages for example, he sponsored the second expedition of Columbus. Christopher inspired him with the idea of ​​trying himself as a traveler, and already in 1499 Vespucci went to Suriname. The purpose of the voyage was to study the coastline. There he opened a settlement called Venezuela - little Venice. In 1500 he returned home with 200 slaves. In 1501 and 1503 Amerigo repeated his travels, acting not only as a navigator, but also as a cartographer. He discovered the bay of Rio de Janeiro, the name of which he gave himself. Since 1505, he served the king of Castile and did not participate in campaigns, only equipped other people's expeditions.

Francis Drake

Many famous travelers and their discoveries have benefited mankind. But among them there are those who left behind a bad memory, since their names were associated with rather cruel events. An English Protestant, who had sailed on a ship from the age of twelve, was no exception. He captured local residents in the Caribbean, selling them into slavery to the Spaniards, attacked ships and fought with Catholics. Perhaps no one could equal Drake in terms of the number of captured foreign ships. His campaigns were sponsored by the Queen of England. In 1577 he went to South America to defeat the Spanish settlements. During the journey, he found Tierra del Fuego and the strait, which was subsequently named after him. Rounding Argentina, Drake plundered the port of Valparaiso and two Spanish ships. When he reached California, he met the natives, who presented the British with gifts of tobacco and bird feathers. Drake crossed the Indian Ocean and returned to Plymouth, becoming the first British citizen to circumnavigate the world. He was admitted to the House of Commons and awarded the title of Sir. In 1595 he died in the last campaign in the Caribbean.

Afanasy Nikitin

Few famous travelers in Russia have achieved the same heights as this native of Tver. Afanasy Nikitin became the first European to visit India. He made a trip to the Portuguese colonizers and wrote "Journey Beyond the Three Seas" - the most valuable literary and historical monument. The success of the expedition was ensured by the merchant's career: Athanasius knew several languages ​​and knew how to negotiate with people. On his journey, he visited Baku, lived in Persia for about two years and reached India by ship. Visiting several cities exotic country, he went to Parvat, where he stayed for a year and a half. After the province of Raichur, he headed to Russia, paving the route through the Arabian and Somali Peninsulas. However, Afanasy Nikitin never made it home, because he fell ill and died near Smolensk, but his notes survived and provided the merchant with world fame.

If you think that all outstanding wanderers remained in the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries, then we hasten to convince you: our contemporaries also make amazing trips. It is these people that will be discussed.

Fedor Konyukhov

If we talk about the great travelers of our time, then it is impossible to ignore the unique talent of Fyodor Filippovich Konyukhov to conquer what, at first glance, is impossible to conquer. Today Konyukhov is the first of the best travelers on the planet, who conquered the North and South Poles, the highest peaks of the world, the seas and oceans. He has more than forty expeditions to the most inaccessible places on our planet.

Descendant Northern Pomors from the Arkhangelsk province was born on the shore Sea of ​​Azov in the fishing village of Chkalovo. His irrepressible thirst for knowledge led to the fact that already at the age of 15, Fedor crossed the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov on a fishing rowing boat. It was the first step on the way to great achievements. Over the next twenty years, Konyukhov takes part in expeditions to the Northern and south poles, conquers the highest peaks, makes four trips around the world, participates in a race on dog sledding crosses the Atlantic Ocean fifteen times. In 2002, the traveler made a solo voyage across the Atlantic in a rowboat and set a record. More recently, on May 31, 2014, Konyukhov was met in Australia with several records at once. The famous Russian was the first to cross the Pacific Ocean from continent to continent. It cannot be said that Fedor Filippovich is a person fixated only on travel. In addition to the nautical school, the great traveler has the Belarusian Art School in Bobruisk and the Modern Humanitarian University in Moscow. In 1983, Fedor Konyukhov became the youngest member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. He is also the author of twelve books about his own experiences of overcoming the difficulties of wandering. At the end of the legendary passage across the Pacific Ocean, Konyukhov said that he was not going to stop there. He plans new projects: flying around the world in a balloon, sailing around the world in 80 days for the Jules Verne Cup on a keel yacht with a crew, diving into the Mariana Trench.

Bear Grylls

Today, this young English traveler, TV presenter and writer is known to an audience of millions thanks to the highest-rated TV show on the Discovery Channel. In October 2006, the program “Survive at all costs” began to air with his participation. The purpose of the TV presenter is not only to entertain the viewer, but also to give valuable advice and recommendations that may come in handy in unforeseen situations.

Born Bear in the UK in a family of hereditary diplomats, he received an excellent education at the elite Ladgrove School and the University of London. Parents did not interfere with their son's hobby sailing, rock climbing and martial arts. But the future traveler received endurance and survival skills in the army, where he mastered skydiving and mountaineering. These skills helped him subsequently achieve his cherished goal - the conquest of Everest. This event took place at the very end of the last century, in 1998. Bear Grylls has just irrepressible energy. The list of his travels is huge. From 2000 to 2007 he sailed around the British Isles in thirty days to raise funds for the British Royal Society for Water Rescue; crossed the North Atlantic in an inflatable boat; flew over the Angel Falls on a steam-powered plane, dined in a balloon at an altitude of more than seven thousand meters; paragliding over the Himalayas... In 2008, the traveler led an expedition organized to climb one of the most remote unclimbed peaks in Antarctica. Almost all of the expeditions Grylls participates in are charitable.

Abby Sunderland

If you think that long journeys are the prerogative of the strong half of humanity, then you are deeply mistaken. And this was proved by the young American Abby Sunderland, who at the age of 16 alone made a round-the-world trip on a yacht. Interestingly, Abby's parents not only allowed her to make such a risky venture, but also helped to prepare for it. It should be noted that the girl's father is a professional sailor.

January 23, 2010 the yacht left the port of Marina Del Rey, in California. Unfortunately, the first voyage was unsuccessful. The second attempt took place on 6 February. Very soon, Abby reported damage to the yacht's hull and engine failure. At that time she was between Australia and Africa, 2 thousand miles from the coast. After that, the connection with the girl was interrupted, and nothing was known about her. The search operation was unsuccessful, and Abby was declared missing. However, a month later, a distress signal was received from the yacht from the southern part of indian ocean. After 11 hours of searching by Australian rescuers in a severe storm, a yacht was discovered in which, fortunately, Abby was safe and sound. Helped her survive large stock products and water. The girl said that all the time after the last communication session she had to overcome the storm, and she physically could not get in touch and send a radiogram. Abby's example inspires the brave in spirit to test their abilities and not stop there.

Jason Lewis

One of the most original travelers of our time spent thirteen years of his life on his unusual trip around the world. The non-standard situation was that Jason refused the achievements of civilization in the form of any kind of technology. The former British janitor went on his world tour with a bicycle, a boat and… roller skates!

The expedition started from Greenwich in 1994. The 27-year-old Lewis chose his friend Steve Smith as his partners. In February 1995, the travelers reached the United States. After 111 days of sailing, the friends decided to cross the states separately. In 1996, rollerblading Lewis is hit by a car. He spent nine months in the hospital. After recovering, Lewis goes to Hawaii, and from there on a pedal boat sails to Australia. On Solomon Islands he hit the epicenter civil war, and off the coast of Australia he was attacked by an alligator. Upon arriving in Australia, Lewis cuts short the trip due to financial difficulties and works for a short time at a funeral home and sells T-shirts. In 2005, he moved to Singapore, from there to China, from which he moved to India. Having traveled the country on a bicycle, the Briton reaches Africa by March 2007. The remainder of the Lewis route passes through Europe. He cycled through Romania, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany and Belgium, then crossed the English Channel and returned to London in October 2007, completing his unique journey around the world. James Lewis proved to the whole world and to himself that there is no limit to human capabilities.