On 24 June 1497, the Venetian navigator Giovanni Caboto, known in England as John Cabot, sailed in the small ship Matthew from Bristol under a patent from Henry VII, and sighted land which was probably Newfoundland or Cape Breton Island, searching for a northern passage to Asia. He claimed it for England and found waters swarming with cod. A second voyage in 1498 with five ships disappeared. Cabot's voyage was the basis of English claims in North America. The cod fisheries drew fishermen from England, Portugal, France and Spain for centuries.
Before and after
- 6 November 1494Birth of Suleiman the Magnificent
- 1495Construction of Tomb of Askia
- 1496Introduction of złoty
- 1497Introduction of Spanish dollar
- 24 June 1497John Cabot reaches North America
- from 1498 to 1975Portuguese Mozambique
- 1499Pietà (Michelangelo)
- from 15th century to 18th centuryAge of Discovery
- c. 1500sDavid
More in Exploration & discovery
- 24 February 1304Birth of Ibn Battuta
- 1368Death of Ibn Battuta
- 1371Birth of Zheng He
- c. 1435Death of Zheng He
- 9 March 1454Birth of Amerigo Vespucci
- 1485Birth of Hernán Cortés
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 15th century.