Navigator
Explore 5 of history's most influential navigator, ranked by historical influence. Each figure links to a full biography, feats, trivia and similar people.
Ferdinand Magellan
86Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who, in the service of Spain, led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe, proving the world could be sailed around even though he died midway through the voyage.
Christopher Columbus
85Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer who, sailing for Spain in 1492, opened sustained European contact with the Americas — a voyage of immense and deeply controversial consequence.
James Cook
84James Cook was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer whose three Pacific voyages charted New Zealand, the eastern coast of Australia and many Pacific islands with unprecedented accuracy.
Zheng He
83Zheng He was a Chinese admiral and explorer of the Ming dynasty who commanded vast treasure fleets on seven voyages across the Indian Ocean, reaching as far as Arabia and East Africa.
Vasco da Gama
82Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who opened the first sea route from Europe to India around the southern tip of Africa, transforming global trade.