Top 10 Most Famous Real-Life Explorers

#10: Vasco da Gama (1460-1524)

The Portuguese trailblazer, Vasco da Gama, sailed into the history books in the late 15th century, as the first European to navigate a sea route to India. His journey around the Cape of Good Hope in 1497 opened up all new links and dramatically rewrote the world map. Da Gama’s exploits secured Portugal an extremely lucrative role in the spice trade, although his legacy is also filled with controversy and considerably darker moments; da Gama is criticized for his ruthless and bloodthirsty tactics. For instance, during his second trip to India, in 1502, he’s said to have ordered the massacre of more than 300 muslims - including children - on board the Mirim, a pilgrim ship returning from Mecca. His journeys certainly laid the foundation for future seafarers and expanded the known world inspiring, among others, Portugal’s next generation explorer, Ferdinand Magellan. But his story, like so many early adventurers, is also complex.

#9: Ibn Battuta (1304-69)

Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Battuta was a Moroccan scholar turned legendary traveler. In the 14th century, he embarked on a colossal journey covering some 75,000 miles, far surpassing the distance traveled by one Marco Polo at around the same time. His story began when, aged twenty-one, he set out on Hajj to Mecca. That trip should’ve taken around one year and four months to complete, but it would actually be twenty-four years before Ibn Battuta returned back to his homeland. In the meantime, he scoured faraway lands with a relentless enthusiasm, charting much of the Northern and Eastern coasts of Africa, crisscrossing Saudi Arabia multiple times, and venturing into much of the Middle East. While the authenticity of some of his accounts has been questioned, it’s also known that Ibn Battuta had to dodge the Black Death while on the road. And he even managed another years-long trip into Africa, later in his life.

#8: Harriet Chalmers Adams (1875-1937)

In an age seemingly dominated by male explorers, Harriet Chalmers Adams achieved more than most of her male contemporaries could ever dream of. Her story sees her travel through South America many times over, on trips spanning from 1900 until the mid 1930s. She also crossed Caribbean islands and parts of the South Pacific. While often accompanied by her husband, Chalmers Adams emerged as one of the most influential exploration voices of her time. She delivered countless lectures, sometimes to male-exclusive audiences, and for most of her life she wrote for National Geographic. More than that, though, she also worked as a journalist and photographer on the frontline during World War One. And is remembered as the only female journalist in the trenches. More so than most, she was skilled at recording her travels with words and photos, setting endless trends for all that came after.

#7: Leif Erikson (c.970-c.1018)

The Vikings are remembered for a lot of things, and not all of them good or especially peaceful. However, their prowess as fearless explorers is legendary. And Leif Erikson’s is perhaps the most famous Norse name of all. Erikson is credited with being the first European to set foot in North America, centuries before, among others, Christopher Columbus and John Cabot. It was around the year 1,000 when he established a short-lived settlement in Vinland, thought likely to have been in modern-day Newfoundland, in the east of Canada. In this case, intrepidness clearly ran in the blood, as Erikson’s father was none other than Erik the Red, the famed Norwegian sailor who, later in life got himself exiled from Iceland and - during that period of exile - managed to discover Greenland.

#6: Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512)

In terms of fame alone it perhaps doesn’t get much better than having two continents named after you. The Italian Amerigo Vespucci sailed to the Americas in the late 15th century, and early 16th. He voyaged representing both Spain and Portugal throughout his career, and largely earned his high profile by publishing and successfully distributing accounts of the lands he saw - including Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, and some of the Caribbean Islands. As such, Vespucci became the figure that so much of Europe associated with finding the New World, which is why North and South America are today named for him. However, his legacy is again not exactly straightforward, and over time Vespucci’s reputation has been marred by debates over whether he truly deserved the recognition he ultimately received. It’s said that others played a far greater role in discovering the Americas, but nevertheless it was the name “Amerigo” that stuck.

#5: Zheng He (1371-c.1433)

Although for centuries an obscure figure in history, Zheng He, is now widely held to be hugely influential in early Chinese travel. His early life was extremely difficult. In 1381 he was captured by the Ming army, at around the same time that his father was killed. Zheng He was then made a slave and a eunuch. Incredibly, however, he gained the recognition and respect of those highest up, and was eventually tasked to command colossal fleets, over the seas toward never-before-seen (or rarely seen) shores. In all, he led seven maritime expeditions known as the Ming Treasure Voyages. Key exploratory missions but also crucial moments in the emerging global politics of the age. Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He sailed much of the Indian Ocean and even reached East Africa - completely reshaping China’s view of the world map.

#4: Roald Amundsen (1872-1928)
The who’s who of polar exploration is a list of seriously brave individuals. From Sir Ernest Shackleton, who in 1915 ensured his crew survived the infamous Antarctic sinking of the ship, Endurance; to Fridtjof Nansen, who in 1893 traveled farther north than anyone else at the time. Norway’s Roald Amundsen was the first to hit many of the most major milestones, though. He led the first successful expedition to the South Pole in 1911, beating his rival (and another polar legend) Robert Falcon Scott. Amundsen (alongside the Naval officer Oscar Wisting) also became the first to reach both poles when he flew with 15 others in the airship, Norge, to Earth’s most northerly point. As the three previous claims to the North Pole are all disputed, Amundsen may even have been the first there, period.

#3: James Cook (1728-79)

The history of British exploration is long and, again, certainly controversial. In terms of fame there are some standout figures, including Sirs Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh, the Elizabethan sailors who fronted early British colonialism. But, move forward to the 18th century, and Captain James Cook is a name known around the world. During his Naval career, he charted the then-unexplored Pacific, mapping the eastern coast of Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, and numerous other Pacific isles. He ran three major voyages, first on HMS Endeavour and then two on HMS Resolution. He met a grim fate on the third, however. First, at Kealakekua Bay in Hawaii, he and his crew were accused by the native Hawaiians of stealing resources. Then tensions escalated, and Cook led an attempted kidnapping of the Hawaiian king. And, finally, during said kidnapping, Cook was beaten and stabbed to death.

#2: Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)

In 1492, he sailed the ocean blue, and so went down in history as the first European to make contact with parts of the Caribbean, and South and Central America. However, the story of Christopher Columbus is far from that straightforward. For one, he himself always believed that he’d reached Asia, rather than the New World of the Americas. His skill as a sailor and navigator is highly questioned. Furthermore, and despite his pivotal role in connecting the Old and New Worlds, Columbus's story is fraught with controversy. He’s criticized for his poor (often brutal) treatment of indigenous populations. He’s said to have routinely ordered violence and killings, and forced many of those he met into slavery. Columbus's four major expeditions undoubtedly altered the course of history and set the stage for the Age of Exploration, but his legacy will long be debated.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Meriwether Lewis, William Clark & Sacagawea (1734-1820; 1770-1838; 1788-1812)
The leaders of a key expedition across new territory following the Louisiana Purchase

Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay (1919-2008; 1914-86)
The first climbers to conquer Mount Everest, the tallest peak on Earth, in 1953

Jacques Cousteau (1910-97)
A trailblazing marine explorer who scaled the ocean when few others would

Charles Darwin (1809-82)
His voyage on the HMS Beagle revolutionized our understanding of evolution

Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)
The first human being to set foot on the moon

#1: Marco Polo (1254-1324)

As we’ve found over the course of this list, there are those who’ve traveled far further than Marco Polo, such as Ibn Battuta; and there are those who made major breakthroughs at earlier points in history, like Leif Erikson. But Polo’s adventures really bring all of the key themes together. In the 13th century, Polo - along with his father and uncle - embarked on a monumental journey along the Silk Road, traversing Asia and the Mongol Empire. Marco, in particular, ended up getting noticed by one Kublai Khan, the emperor and founder of China’s Yuan dynasty. From there, he was sent on diplomatic trips all over the world, with his experiences eventually chronicled in “Il Milione”, a record otherwise known as “The Travels of Marco Polo”. In all he visited China, Japan, India, Iran, parts of Eastern Africa, a host of far-off destinations, compiling all he saw to eventually become one of the most influential and significant people of his time.

So, what’s your verdict? Let us know in the comments and, if you’ve got some travel and exploring planned in the future, let us know about that as well!