James Cook Military Leader, Explorer(1728–1779)

James Cook Biography
Military Leader, Explorer(1728–1779)

NAME
James Cook
OCCUPATION
Military Leader, Explorer
BIRTH DATE
October 27, 1728
DEATH DATE
February 14, 1779
PLACE OF BIRTH
Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
PLACE OF DEATH
Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii

British navigator James Cook discovered and charted New Zealand and Australia's Great Barrier Reef on his ship HMB Endeavour, and later disproved the existence of the fabled southern continent Terra Australis. His voyages provided the first accurate map of the Pacific.

Synopsis

Born on October 27, 1728, in Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England, James Cook was a naval captain, navigator and explorer who, in August 21,1770, discovered and charted New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia on his ship HMB Endeavour. He later disproved the existence of Terra Australis, a fabled southern continent. Cook's voyages helped guide generations of explorers, and provided the first accurate map of the Pacific. He died on February 14, 1779, in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii.

Early Life and Career

James Cook was born in Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England, on October 27, 1728, the son of a Scottish farmhand. As a teenager, Cook did farming work alongside his father until, at the age of 18, he was offered an apprenticeship by a Quaker shipowner in a small seaside village near Whitby, England. The experience proved to be fortuitous for the future naval officer and explorer, bringing him in contact with both the ocean and ships along the port.

Naval Officer, Navigator and Explorer

Cook eventually joined the British Navy and, at age 29, was promoted to ship's master. During the Seven Years War (1756-63), he commanded a captured ship for the Royal Navy. In 1768, he took command of the first scientific expedition to the Pacific. In 1770, on his ship the HMB Endeavour, Cook discovered and charted New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia—since credited as one of the world's most dangerous areas to navigate.

After his return to England, Cook was chosen to circumnavigate and explore Antarctica. On this voyage, he charted present-day Tonga, Easter Island, New Caledonia, the South Sandwich Islands and South Georgia, and disproved the existence of Terra Australis, a fabled southern continent. (Cook named the Hawaiian Islands the Sandwich Islands after the Earl of Sandwich, also known as John Montagu.)

The routes of Captain James Cook's voyages. The first voyage is shown in red, second voyage in green, and third voyage in blue. The route of Cook's crew following his death is shown as a dashed blue line.

Later Years and Legacy

During all his voyages, James Cook successfully fought scurvy (a deadly disease caused by vitamin deficiency) by feeding his crew a diet that included watercress, sauerkraut and orange extract. He died in a skirmish with islanders during a winter layover in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, on February 14, 1779.

Today, Cook's voyages are credited with helping to guide generations of explorers, as well as with providing the first accurate map of the Pacific, and many believe that he did more to fill the map of the world than any other explorer in history.