Cape Bojador --- Prince Henry of Portugal
- The first European navigator recognized for successfully surpassing Cape Bojador was the Portuguese explorer Gil Eanes in 1434, during his fifteenth voyage under Prince Henry of Portugal's sponsorship. Numerous European ships that ventured into the region disappeared, leading to legends about sea monsters and the belief that it was impossible to navigate south past Cape Bojador.
Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada --- Henry VIII of England
- King Henry VII supported John Cabot's expedition aimed at discovering trade prospects for spices. Cabot intended to reach Asia by traveling west across the North Atlantic, estimating that this route would be shorter and quicker than Columbus's newly discovered path. In the end, Cabot's voyage led to the discovery of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Hispaniola and the Caribbean --- Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain
- Funded by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Christopher Columbus explored this region during his initial voyage to the Americas in 1492. Upon his arrival in Hispaniola, he established the fort La Navidad on the northern shore of modern-day Haiti. Following the destruction of the fort, he returned the next year and founded a second settlement called La Isabela in the present-day Dominican Republic, marking the first lasting European settlement in the Americas.
St. Lawrence River in Canada --- King Francis I of France
- In 1534, Jacques Cartier officially claimed the lands surrounding the St. Lawrence River in the name of King Francis I of France. Cartier is often credited as the discoverer of the St. Lawrence Valley.
