Magellan Finds the Strait at the End of the World
On October 21, 1520, Ferdinand Magellan's fleet entered the strait at the tip of South America, opening the first known sea passage to the Pacific.
Tagged: oceans
A Large Land, Uplifted High: New Zealand's First European Sighting
On December 13, 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman became the first European to sight New Zealand, spotting the Southern Alps from 60 miles offshore.
Six Men, Nine Logs, 4,300 Miles: The Kon-Tiki Wrecks Onto History
On August 7, 1947, Thor Heyerdahl's balsa-wood raft Kon-Tiki smashed onto a Pacific reef after 101 days at sea — proving an ancient design could cross an ocean.