The greatest explorers in history
The top 3 according to 6 votes from people: Ferdinand Magellan · Marco Polo · Alexander von Humboldt. (Updated Apr 17, 2025.)
The navigators, travellers and polar explorers named again and again on German history and knowledge sites, with their most important journey.
Automatically translated (original in Deutsch). See the original
Top 15
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1
Ferdinand Magellan
Led the first circumnavigation from 1519; died in the Philippines in 1521.
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2
Marco Polo
Venetian who wrote of his years at the court of Kublai Khan in China.
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3
Alexander von Humboldt
Explored South and Central America in 1799-1804; a founder of modern geography.
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4
Ernest Shackleton
Saved his whole crew after the Endurance sank (1915).
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5
Jacques Cartier
French sailor who explored the Saint Lawrence River from 1534 and gave Canada its name.
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6
Christopher Columbus
Reached the Americas in 1492 in the service of Spain.
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7
Juan Sebastián Elcano
Completed the first circumnavigation aboard the Victoria in 1522.
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8
Vasco da Gama
Found the sea route to India around Africa in 1498.
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9
Roald Amundsen
First to reach the South Pole, on 14 December 1911.
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10
Ibn Battuta
Moroccan traveller who journeyed across the Islamic world and beyond for almost three decades from 1325.
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11
Zheng He
Ming dynasty admiral who led seven great fleet voyages (1405-1433).
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12
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay
First ascent of Mount Everest, on 29 May 1953.
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13
Leif Eriksson
Viking who reached North America (Vinland) around the year 1000.
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14
Bartolomeu Dias
First European to sail round the Cape of Good Hope, in 1488.
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15
David Livingstone
Crossed Africa and reached Victoria Falls in 1855.
Candidates
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16
Lewis and Clark
Crossed North America to the Pacific in 1804-1806.
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17
Robert Falcon Scott
Reached the South Pole in January 1912, just after Amundsen, and died on the way back.
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18
Abel Tasman
Dutch sailor, was the first European to reach Tasmania and New Zealand in 1642.
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19
Fridtjof Nansen
Norwegian polar explorer, was the first to cross Greenland in 1888 and drifted through the Arctic Ocean with the Fram.
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20
Henry Morton Stanley
Found David Livingstone on Lake Tanganyika in 1871 and explored the Congo.
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21
James Cook
Charted the east coast of Australia and New Zealand on three voyages (1768-1779).
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (2)
Humboldt ist für mich der größte von allen.
Es fehlen Abel Tasman, Fridtjof Nansen, Jacques Cartier und Henry Morton Stanley.