Did the Chinese beat Columbus to America?

Did the Chinese discovery America years before Christopher Columbus? Learn about the evidence that supports the claim that the Chinese beat Columbus.

James Cook

Cook, James (1728–1779), a British navigator. Captain Cook accurately charted vast regions of the South Pacific; provided a basis for England's claim to Australia and New Zealand; and developed a diet that prevented scurvy among seamen.

Abel Tasman

Tasman, Abel Janszoon (1603–1659), a Dutch navigator. Exploring the Pacific Ocean for the Dutch East India Company, he discovered Tasmania (which he named Van Diemen's Land) and New Zealand in 1642.

Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca

Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar Núñez (1490?–1557?), a Spanish explorer. He was a leader in the expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez to Florida in 1528.

Amerigo Vespucci

Vespucci, Amerigo, (Latinized form: Americus Vespucius, ) (1451–1512), the Italian navigator for whom the continents of the Western Hemisphere are named.

Bartholomeu Dias

Dias (or Diaz), Bartholomeu(1450?–1500), a Portuguese explorer. He discovered the Cape of Good Hope, near the southern tip of the African continent.

Challenger Expedition

Challenger Expedition, an exploring trip made in 1872–76 to study the ocean bottom and undersea life.

Eric the Red

Eric the Red (950?–1000?), the Norse founder of a settlement in Greenland. He gave the island its name to attract settlers.

Ferdinand Magellan

Magellan, Ferdinand (Portuguese: Fernão de Magalhães)(1480?–1521), a Portuguese navigator.

George Vancouver

Vancouver, George (1758?–1798), an English navigator and explorer. He surveyed the northwest coast of North America, and his name was given to Vancouver Island and to the cities of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Vancouver, Washington.

Giovanni Da Verrazano

Verrazano, Giovanni da (1485?-1528?), an Italian navigator and privateer. He was born near Florence.

Henry the Navigator

Henry the Navigator (1394–1460), a Portuguese prince, a son of King John I. Henry sponsored expeditions that prepared the way for the European discovery of America and the establishment of a sea route to India; he himself never made a sea voyage.

John Cabot

Cabot, John (1451?–1498), an Italian-born navigator. In 1497, while on a voyage of exploration for England, he landed on the coast of North America.

John Davis

Davis, John (1550?–1605), an English navigator and explorer. Davis invented the backstaff, an instrument that enabled a navigator on a ship at sea to determine the ship's position by measuring the altitude of celestial bodies.

Juan Diaz de Solis

Solís, Juan Díaz de (1470?–1516), a Spanish navigator and explorer. After many years of exploration in Latin America, Solís succeeded Amerigo Vespucci as chief pilot of Spain in 1512.