James Cook was born on 27 October 1728 in Marton. A British naval officer, navigator and cartographer, Cook rose from a humble background in Yorkshire to command three voyages of exploration in the Pacific. On the first, in the ship Endeavour, he observed the transit of Venus at Tahiti, charted the coasts of New Zealand and mapped the east coast of Australia in 1770. His later voyages crossed the Antarctic Circle and explored the Pacific from Tonga to the coast of North America, and he was the first European to reach the Hawaiian Islands. He was killed in a clash with islanders at Kealakekua Bay in Hawaii. His detailed charts were used for generations.
Before and after
- 28 October 1726Publication of Gulliver's Travels
- 1727Founding of Palmer
- 20 March 1727Death of Isaac Newton
- 10 February 1728Birth of Peter III of Russia
- 27 October 1728Birth of James Cook
- 1729Founding of Karachi
- 12 January 1729Birth of Edmund Burke
- 2 May 1729Birth of Catherine II of Russia
- 1730Founding of Southbridge
More in Exploration & discovery
- 24 December 1524Death of Vasco da Gama
- 1540Birth of Francis Drake
- 2 December 1547Death of Hernán Cortés
- 24 September 1557Death of Jacques Cartier
- 28 January 1596Death of Francis Drake
- 1603Birth of Abel Tasman
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.