Exploration & the Sea

  • 1525: Stephen Borough is born

    Stephen Borough was born in Devon on 25 September 1525. He became an English navigator involved in Tudor attempts to find a sea route around northern Europe to Asia. In 1553, Borough sailed as master of the Edward Bonaventure on an expedition searching for a north-eastern passage. The ship was commanded by Richard Chancellor and…

  • 1525: Stephen Borough is born in Devon

    Stephen Borough was born in Northam, Devon, on 25 September 1525. He became an English navigator, Arctic explorer and naval administrator closely involved in England’s early attempts to find a north-eastern sea route towards Asia. Borough learned navigation and seamanship from his uncle, John Borough. In 1553, he served as master of the Edward Bonaventure,…

  • 1578: Martin Frobisher leaves Harwich on his third Arctic voyage

    On 31 May 1578, Martin Frobisher left Harwich with a fleet of 15 ships. It was his third voyage to the Arctic, and it was much larger than his earlier attempts. The voyage still carried the old aim of finding a North-West Passage. English backers hoped the route might open trade with Asia by sailing…

  • 1580: Francis Drake returns to Plymouth after circumnavigating the world

    On 26 September 1580, Francis Drake sailed the Golden Hind into Plymouth, completing a voyage that had taken him around the world and kept him away from England for nearly three years. Drake had left Plymouth in December 1577 with five ships. His expedition was backed by Queen Elizabeth I and other investors. Although the…

  • 1587: Virginia Dare is born at Roanoke

    Virginia Dare was born on Roanoke Island on 18 August 1587, the daughter of English colonists Ananias and Eleanor Dare. She was the first English child born in North America. Eleanor was the daughter of John White, governor of the English settlement established at Roanoke that summer. The colonists had crossed the Atlantic as part…

  • 1701: Captain Kidd is executed at Execution Dock

    William Kidd was hanged at Execution Dock in London on 23 May 1701 after being convicted of piracy and murder. Kidd’s case was awkward because he had not begun as a simple outlaw. He was a Scottish sailor who had been commissioned as a privateer and authorised to attack certain enemy or pirate vessels. Privateering…

  • 1754: William Bligh is born in Plymouth

    William Bligh was born in Plymouth on 9 September 1754. The son of a customs officer, he went to sea as a child and became a highly skilled navigator. In 1776, Bligh was appointed sailing master of HMS Resolution for Captain James Cook’s final voyage to the Pacific. His surveying and navigational work established a…

  • 1768: James Cook leaves Plymouth aboard Endeavour

    James Cook sailed from Plymouth aboard Endeavour on 25 August 1768, beginning a voyage that combined astronomy, natural history, naval surveying and British territorial ambitions in the Pacific. Cook had recently been commissioned as a lieutenant and given command of the expedition. Its first major destination was Tahiti, where the Royal Society wanted observers to…

  • 1901: Francis Chichester is born in Devon

    Francis Chichester was born in Shirwell, Devon, on 17 September 1901. He became known first as an aviator and later as one of Britain’s best-known solo sailors. Chichester emigrated to New Zealand as a young man and built a business before returning to Britain. He learnt to fly and made long-distance solo flights, including pioneering…

  • 1930: Joe Brown is born in Manchester

    Joe Brown was born in Ardwick, Manchester, on 26 September 1930. He became a leading British rock climber and mountaineer in the post-war period. Brown was the youngest of seven children. His father died when he was still an infant, and his mother supported the family through cleaning work and taking in laundry. Brown left…

  • 1953: Hillary and Tenzing reach Everest’s summit

    Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest on 29 May 1953. They were part of a British expedition led by John Hunt. Hillary was from New Zealand. Tenzing Norgay was a Sherpa climber with long experience on Himalayan expeditions. Their final climb followed weeks of preparation. Camps had been set up, supplies…

  • 1982: The Mary Rose Is Raised from the Solent

    On 11 October 1982, divers raised the surviving hull of the Mary Rose from the Solent near Portsmouth, 437 years after the ship sank. The recovery followed years of searching, excavation and planning. The Mary Rose served in Henry VIII’s fleet. She sank on 19 July 1545 during the Battle of the Solent, when English…