Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous Explorers in the World

Exploration 783
All 152,953
73 CC Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus Italian Explorer 1451–1506
168 MP Marco Polo Marco Polo Italian Explorer 1254–1324
245 JC James Cook James Cook British Explorer 1728–1779
393 HC Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés Spanish Explorer 1485–1547
508 YG Yuri Gagarin Yuri Gagarin Russian Cosmonaut 1934–1968
694 FD Francis Drake Francis Drake British Explorer 1540–1596
726 RA Roald Amundsen Roald Amundsen Norwegian Explorer 1872–1928
766 FM Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan Portuguese Explorer 1480–1521
775 JC Jacques Cousteau Jacques Cousteau French Explorer 1910–1997
788 VD Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama Portuguese Explorer 1469–1524
960 IB Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta Moroccan Explorer 1304–1368
1,029 ES Ernest Shackleton Ernest Shackleton British Explorer 1874–1922
1,129 EH Edmund Hillary Edmund Hillary New Zealand Mountaineer 1919–2008
1,269 RF Robert Falcon Scott Robert Falcon Scott British Explorer 1868–1912
1,391 DL David Livingstone David Livingstone British Explorer 1813–1873
1,687 JG John Glenn John Glenn American Fighter Pilot 1921–2016
1,874 RM Reinhold Messner Reinhold Messner Italian Mountaineer b. 1944
2,211 HM Henry Morton Stanley Henry Morton Stanley British Explorer 1841–1904
2,280 SD Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain French Explorer 1567–1635
3,591 RP Robert Peary Robert Peary American Explorer 1856–1920
3,808 JS John Smith (explorer) John Smith (explorer) British Explorer 1580–1631
3,810 HH Heinrich Harrer Heinrich Harrer Austrian Mountaineer 1912–2006
3,942 AT Abel Tasman Abel Tasman Dutch Explorer 1603–1659
4,270 VB Vitus Bering Vitus Bering Russian Explorer 1681–1741
4,339 JF John Franklin John Franklin British Explorer 1786–1847
4,445 DB Daniel Boone Daniel Boone American Explorer 1734–1820
4,501 TN Tenzing Norgay Tenzing Norgay Nepalese Mountaineer 1914–1986
4,575 GM George Mallory George Mallory British Mountaineer 1886–1924
4,923 HH Henry Hudson Henry Hudson British Explorer 1570–1611
5,383 VN Vasco Núñez de Balboa Vasco Núñez de Balboa Spanish Explorer 1475–1519
5,534 HD Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto Spanish Explorer 1495–1542
5,744 PÁ Pedro Álvares Cabral Pedro Álvares Cabral Portuguese Explorer 1467–1520
5,924 ZH Zheng He Zheng He Chinese Explorer 1387–1433
5,962 CJ Calamity Jane Calamity Jane American Explorer 1852–1903
6,300 AD Afonso de Albuquerque Afonso de Albuquerque Portuguese Explorer 1453–1515
6,341 GV George Vancouver British Explorer 1757–1798
6,424 JP Juan Ponce de León Juan Ponce de León Spanish Explorer 1474–1521
6,612 AL Alexey Leonov Alexey Leonov Russian Cosmonaut 1934–2019
6,765 WB Willem Barentsz Willem Barentsz Dutch Explorer 1550–1597
7,040 WA William Adams (sailor) William Adams (sailor) British Explorer 1564–1620
7,088 MP Mungo Park (explorer) British Explorer 1771–1806
7,140 UN Umberto Nobile Umberto Nobile Italian Explorer 1885–1978
7,168 LE Leif Erikson Leif Erikson Icelandic Explorer 970–1020
7,332 GD Giovanni da Verrazzano Giovanni da Verrazzano Italian Explorer 1485–1528
7,643 WD William Dampier William Dampier British Explorer 1651–1715
7,759 CM Chris McCandless American Explorer 1968–1992
8,049 AP Auguste Piccard Auguste Piccard Swiss Explorer 1884–1962
8,197 WC William Clark William Clark American Explorer 1770–1838
9,024 MF Matthew Flinders Matthew Flinders British Explorer 1774–1814
9,065 BD Bartolomeu Dias Bartolomeu Dias Portuguese Explorer 1450–1500
9,166 RT Richard Trevithick Richard Trevithick British Explorer 1771–1833
9,462 MF Martin Frobisher Martin Frobisher British Explorer 1535–1594
9,795 AR Aron Ralston Aron Ralston American Mountaineer b. 1975
10,005 GE George Everest George Everest British Explorer 1790–1866
10,621 JD Jules Dumont d'Urville Jules Dumont d'Urville French Explorer 1790–1842
10,929 PD Pedro de Valdivia Pedro de Valdivia Spanish Explorer 1497–1553
11,295 AM Alexander Mackenzie (explorer) Alexander Mackenzie (explorer) British Explorer 1764–1820
11,381 EH Erich Hartmann Erich Hartmann German Fighter Pilot 1922–1993
11,613 HR Hanna Reitsch Hanna Reitsch German Test Pilot 1912–1979
12,459 GT Gherman Titov Gherman Titov Russian Cosmonaut 1935–2000
12,579 S Sacagawea Sacagawea American Explorer 1780–1812
12,814 FC Frederick Cook Frederick Cook American Explorer 1865–1940
12,963 DD Diego de Almagro Diego de Almagro Spanish Explorer 1475–1538
12,981 FG Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen Russian Explorer 1778–1852
13,408 JH John Hanning Speke John Hanning Speke British Explorer 1827–1864
14,325 KR Knud Rasmussen Knud Rasmussen Danish Explorer 1879–1933
14,505 KC Kit Carson Kit Carson American Explorer 1809–1868
15,979 JV Jan van Riebeeck Jan van Riebeeck Dutch Explorer 1619–1677
16,119 ML Miguel López de Legazpi Miguel López de Legazpi Spanish Explorer 1502–1572
16,613 JS Jedediah Smith Jedediah Smith American Explorer 1799–1831
16,953 LD Lope de Aguirre Spanish Explorer 1518–1561
17,067 JS Joshua Slocum Joshua Slocum American Explorer 1844–1909
17,295 JS John Sutter John Sutter Swiss Explorer 1803–1880
17,506 AD Alonso de Ojeda Alonso de Ojeda Spanish Explorer 1466–1515
17,662 AN Andriyan Nikolayev Andriyan Nikolayev Russian Cosmonaut 1929–2004
18,263 ZP Zebulon Pike Zebulon Pike American Explorer 1779–1813
18,857 FM Fernão Mendes Pinto Fernão Mendes Pinto Portuguese Explorer 1509–1583
19,587 TC Thomas Cavendish Thomas Cavendish British Explorer 1560–1592
19,594 PF Peter Freuchen Peter Freuchen Danish Explorer 1886–1957
19,642 JR John Rolfe John Rolfe British Explorer 1585–1622
20,074 SA Salomon August Andrée Salomon August Andrée Swedish Explorer 1854–1897
20,328 FY Francis Younghusband Francis Younghusband British Explorer 1863–1942
20,554 MB Maurice Benyovszky Maurice Benyovszky Hungarian Explorer 1746–1786
20,840 MH Matthew Henson Matthew Henson American Explorer 1866–1955
21,434 VC Valery Chkalov Valery Chkalov Russian Test Pilot 1904–1938
21,438 FR Frederick Russell Burnham Frederick Russell Burnham American Explorer 1861–1947
21,608 RC Roy Chapman Andrews American Explorer 1884–1960
21,610 AB Anatoli Boukreev Anatoli Boukreev Kazakhstani Mountaineer 1958–1997
22,290 PD Pánfilo de Narváez Pánfilo de Narváez Spanish Explorer 1478–1528
22,294 PM Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Pedro Menéndez de Avilés Spanish Explorer 1519–1574
22,338 AN Afanasy Nikitin Russian Explorer 1433–1472
23,286 EM Ellen MacArthur Ellen MacArthur British Explorer b. 1976
23,358 SJ St John Philby St John Philby British Explorer 1885–1960
23,446 JM John McDouall Stuart John McDouall Stuart British Explorer 1815–1866
23,756 CS Charles Sturt Charles Sturt British Explorer 1795–1869
24,127 RC René Caillié René Caillié French Explorer 1799–1838
24,219 CP Carl Peters Carl Peters German Explorer 1856–1918
24,273 JB James Bruce James Bruce British Explorer 1730–1794
25,011 JR Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Spanish Explorer 1499–1543
25,038 JD Juan de Garay Juan de Garay Spanish Explorer 1528–1583
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Explorers

783 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Centuries

One face per century — the leading figure from Explorers born in each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births among Explorers peaked in the 1910s with 56 people.

What Explorers Are Known For

Disciplines inside this family, plus countries that over- and under-produce them.

Explorer is the largest group within Explorers — 504 people, 64% of the family.

Explorers over-index on russia — 3.8× the global rate.

Explorers under-produce germany — only 0.4× the global rate.

  1. Explorer504
  2. Mountaineer87
  3. Aviator62
  4. Cosmonaut39
  5. Test Pilot24
  6. Fighter Pilot21
  7. Aviatore10
  8. Navigator7
  1. Russia883.8×
  2. Portugal213.6×
  3. Norway162.6×
  4. Spain612.3×
  5. United Kingdom1032.0×
  6. Australia251.8×
  7. Italy571.7×
  8. France1131.6×
  1. Germany400.4×
  2. India100.5×

City Hot Spots

Cities that over-produce Explorers compared to the world average — multiplier shows how much more.