Marco Polo was a Venetian explorer who traveled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His journey was documented in The Travels of Marco Polo.
In 1492, sponsored by the Spanish crown, Columbus embarked on a voyage to find a new route to India and instead found the Americas.
Best known for leading the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe from 1519 to 1522, although he did not complete the voyage himself.
Commissioned by President Jefferson, they explored and mapped the new American territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase from 1804 to 1806.