Exploration

History remembers the renaissance era as a time of poets, painters, and fair maidens, but the reality is much closer to a horror film.

Viking warrior Ivar the Boneless unleashes his Great Heathen Army upon England, opening nearly a century of raids and plunder during the Dark Ages.

When Columbus made landfall in the Caribbean, he believed it to be Asia--his intended destination.

Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain in 1492, but he wasn't Spanish. People claim he was Italian, but he wasn't quite that either. So what exactly is his story?

Columbus used his celestial knowledge to scare native people into thinking a lunar eclipse was a sign of his angry god.

Nobleman and explorer Vasco da Gama established a trade route that linked Portugal directly with the Indian spice market. Learn how he managed to sail around Africa's Cape of Good Hope in this video.

From priceless unknown tombs to sunken treasure worth billions of dollars. Discover these 10 biggest treasure discoveries that left the whole world amazed, in this episode of History Countdown.

Robert Peary is famous as the first explorer to officially reach the North Pole, but Matthew Henson might deserve just as much credit.

Endurance was crushed by ice and sank in November 1915.

A Biblical treasure map called the Copper Scroll details dozens of hiding spots.

After establishing a colony in Mexico, Spanish nobleman Hernán Cortés rallied native allies and conquered the Aztec Empire. Learn more about what led him to destroy one of the greatest civilizations in human history in this video.

Did a Viking explorer travel from Greenland to modern day Canada in the 11th century, beating Christopher Columbus by nearly 400 years?

There's a lot more to these seafaring warriors than their famous longships. Get the full story.

Pirates have hunted ships' bounty for as long as sailors have charted the open seas.

After 60 days and no sign of land, Columbus' doubtful crew wanted to turn back.

Though he didn't produce much profit for the monarchs of Spain, Columbus opened a path to the new world for all of Europe.

On Christopher Columbus's second voyage to the Americas, he enslaved the indigenous people and forced them to mine for gold.

Spanish conquistador and eventual Governor of Peru Francisco Pizarro acquired wealth through kidnapping, ransom, and murder. Find out more about his violent rise to power in this video.

English explorer Henry Hudson was determined to find the Northwest Passage via the Arctic Circle - even after his crew mutinied. Learn more about his lifelong search in this video.

A qualified navigator was second only to the Captain as the most important member of a pirate crew.

French explorer Jacques Cartier named Canada after "kanata," the Huron-Iroquois word for settlement. Learn more about his search for a passage to East Asia and how he laid the original French claim for Canada in this video.

From John Cabot to Bartolomé de las Casas, learn more about notable explorers NOT named Christopher Columbus in this web exclusive.

The Vikings are known as masters of the sea, but what was the viking life like before these warriors began their raids?

Pirates used a variety of plundered cannons and ammunition to intimidate ships on the high seas.

Hernando De Soto began his career in exploration at age 14 when he traveled to the West Indies. Find out how he became known as the first European to discover the Mississippi River in this video.

Viking warrior women were thought to be the stuff of legends. A 2017 DNA analysis proves they were real.