Navigator and explorer who is famous for his 1497 voyage from Bristol to the coast of North America, authorized by Henry VII. He was the first European to explore that coast since the Norse colonization of North America. He sailed aboard a ship named Matthew which some believe may have been named after his wife, Mattea. 

Before Fame

He moved to Venice in about 1461. 

Trivia

He traveled the Mediterranean and visited Mecca. In 1495, he moved to Bristol, England. In 1498, he set out on a second voyage with a fleet of five ships from Bristol. It is believed his fleet hit a severe storm and he was presumed dead. 

Family Life

He had children named Ludovico, Sebastian, and Sancto. 

Associated With

In 1997, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of his famous voyage, a replica of his ship sailed across the Atlantic and arrived at Bonavista, in Newfoundland and Labrador, where it was welcomed by Elizabeth II and 30,000 spectators.