John Cabot (Italian: Giovanni Caboto [dʒoˈvanni kaˈbɔːto]; c. 1450 – c. 1500) was an Italian navigator and explorer. His 1497 voyage to the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England is the earliest-known European exploration of coastal North America since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century.
To mark the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Cabot's expedition, both the Canadian and British governments elected Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland as representing Cabot's first landing site. However, alternative locations have also been proposed.
1497May, 20
John Cabot sets sail from Bristol, England, on his ship Matthew looking for a route to the west (other documents give a May 2 date).
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Events on 1497
- 27Jun
Michael An Gof
Cornish rebels Michael An Gof and Thomas Flamank are executed at Tyburn, London, England. - 16Dec
Bartolomeu Dias
Vasco da Gama passes the Great Fish River, where Bartolomeu Dias had previously turned back to Portugal.