They Boldly Went Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sir Francis Drake

Sir Francis Drake was an English privateer and explorer who is credited with leading the second voyage around the world. He is also famous for attacking Spanish vessels and taking their valuables. He plundered thousands of pounds of Spanish gold. These actions led to his nickname or "Draco" which translates into "The Dragon".

Many historians credit Drake with being the main reason the English defeated the Spanish Armada. He is thought to have died in 1596 from dysentery off of the coast of Central America.

Answer: Marco Polo

Marco Polo was one of the most influential explorers of his time. During his trips to the Far East he met Kublai Khan, explored the Silk Road, and recorded the details of a powerful culture which was basically unknown to most of Europe. After twenty years exploring China, the Spice Islands, and other parts of far east Asia, he returned to Italy.

He was imprisoned during a clash between Genoa and Venice. While in prison he dictated his experiences to a fellow prisoner who recorded them for him. After he was released, these writings were published under the title "Il Milione" sometimes known as "The Travels of Marco Polo".

Answer: He was a crew member on Christopher Columbus' second voyage.

Juan Ponce de Leon is thought to have been the first European to have set foot on the Florida peninsula. In 1493, he had sailed from Spain as a crew member on one of Christopher Columbus' ships. When Columbus returned, Juan Ponce de Leon made the decision to remain behind on the island of Santo Domingo.

He is credited with discovering Bimini and Puerto Rico. He diligently searched present-day Florida in a quest to find the fabled "Fountain of Youth". He is thought to have died on the island of Cuba from a wound caused by an arrow poisoned with the sap from a Manchineel tree.

Answer: Niger River

Mungo Park was a Scottish explorer who charted the course of the Niger River in western Africa. He made use of horses, foot paths, other rivers, and shear strength to make this journey. Park travelled hundreds of miles on foot and suffered fever and imprisonment.

His exploits are recorded in his novel "Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa" (1797). In 1805 the British government requested he undertake another expedition requesting he ascertain the exact source of the Niger River. He is believed to have drowned during a skirmish with locals during this second undertaking.

Answer: James Cook

British explorer James Cook was known for his skills in both navigation and map making. He explored locations all over the world including Easter Island, New Zealand, and Canada, among others. He was the first Englishman to land in Australia and meet the Aboriginal peoples.

He is credited with crossing the Antarctic Circle on January 17, 1773 where he discovered the South Sandwich Islands. Cook is thought to have died in 1779 during a skirmish with natives on the island of Hawaii.

Answer: The Netherlands

In 1609, The Netherlands decided to send explorer Henry Hudson to North America to look for locations suitable for setting up colonies. The went ahead and set up the The Dutch West India Company to help further the cause. Hudson explored the northeastern areas of North America and assisted in setting up the colony of New Amsterdam, which would later on become New York.

He was also famous for his attempts to find a "northwest passage" that would allow ships to sail to the north of America rather than having to make the dangerous trips around Africa and/or South America.

This painting depicts Hudson with his son and a crew member who part of a group that were set adrift after a mutiny. Their exact fate remains unknown.

Answer: South America

Humboldt (1769-1859), explored much of Central and South America. Along with French botanist Aimé Bonpland, they explored the coasts of Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, and most of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. They collected examples of new plant species, new mineral species and did extensive mapping of Central and South America.

He is credited with finding the Humboldt Current of the west coast of continent and produced the first accurate drawings of many Inca ruins. He also explored much of Asia and wrote extensively about his travels.

He has had many things named after him including the Mare Humboldtianum (Humboldt's Sea) which is on the moon.

Answer: Alaska

Bering was a Danish explorer and navigator who is best known for his explorations around the waters of Alaska and Siberia. His first exploration was an attempt to prove that North America and Asia were not connected by a land bridge. He sailed through what is now known as the Bering Strait finding a sea route around Siberia to China.

In 1741, he explored much of the Arctic coast of Siberia for the Russian Empress. During this trip his ship was wrecked on a small island off the coast of the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia.

He and his crew spent the winter in this frigid land where he and half his crew passed away before the coming of springtime.

Answer: They were the first to cross Australia from the south to the north.

Robert Burke and William Wills were Australian explorers who, in 1861, became the first Europeans to cross the continent of Australia from south to north. These inexperienced explorers both died on the trip back. Burke was a policeman and Wills was a surveyor.

This undertaking was done in an attempt to find a north-south route that could be used to build a telegraph line. The government of South Australia government had offered a substantial reward to the first person to find a route that could be used. Exploring the unknown is a very dangerous undertaking indeed.

Answer: False

Robert Scott (1868-1912) was a British naval officer and Antarctic explorer. He led two expeditions trying to reach the South Pole. The first attempt was abandoned due to scurvy. The second attempt was a complete disaster leading to the deaths of everyone is the expedition. During this attempt they found a Norwegian flag signifying that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had beaten them to the South Pole. Scott explored the coastal regions of this barren continent, as well as the seas, islands and ice shelves that surround it.