PEOPLE WE SHOULD KNOW...
FERDINAND MAGELLAN
A Portuguese war-hero, captain, and navigator who was the first to circumnavigate the world. Before Magellan, the only way to reach Indonesia was a long and dangerous journey on the Spice Route. Magellan led a voyage from Spain in search of a sea route that lasted over two years and 27,000 miles. While Magellan and his crew encountered many unforeseen obstacles during their voyage, they were the first to discover a passage to the Pacific Ocean through South America, later called the Strait of Magellan.
STEVE IRWIN
An Australian wildlife expert who was dedicated to protecting exotic animals and their natural habitats. When he wasn’t working at his parents’ zoo, Irwin was helping the Australian government rescue saltwater crocodiles. Irwin even got his own television show called The Crocodile Hunter. On the show, Irwin would rescue animals that were in danger and taught viewers about their habitats, and he became famous for wrestling with saltwater crocodiles. Crickey!
LEIF ERIKSON
A Viking and the first European to stand on the continent of North America—over four hundred years before Columbus! Like all Vikings, Leif Erikson was a warrior, a pirate, an expert sailor, and an explorer. When he was twenty years old, Erikson led an expedition west from Greenland and discovered a rocky island which he named Helluland, then continued south and eventually found a land he called Vinland, which we know as Newfoundland, Canada.
EUGENIE CLARK
A zoologist who discovered 11 new species of fish and was known for her studies of shark behavior. She learned that sharks were actually very intelligent with the ability to learn and even recognize colors. During her long career, she learned how to spearfish, rode a whale shark, explored caves of sleeping sharks, and broke a record for the deepest dive with compressed air.