In the second half of the eighteenth century, there were still undiscovered lands on the planet, for which there was a fierce struggle between the leading maritime powers - Portugal, Spain, France, Holland and England. The British, from the time of Elizabeth of England and, began to confidently push out competitors in the field of capturing overseas territories. The British Admiralty equipped naval expeditions in search of new lands, one of which was offered to be led by James Cook.

Expedition goals

The interest was quite specific - to find the alleged South Continent or other lands in the southern latitudes of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, put them on maps and stake out for the British crown. To disguise the true goals, a wonderful pretext was invented - scientific observations of the passage of Venus through the disk of the Sun.

James Cook's first circumnavigation of the world

Queen Charlotte- (1744-1818) - wife of King George III of Great Britain (1738-1820) and grandmother of Queen Victoria (1819-1901). By the way, the recipe belongs to Queen Charlotte charlottes- a sweet dessert made from apples baked in dough.

James Cook is one of the greatest discoverers of the 18th century. A man who led as many as three round-the-world expeditions, discovered many new lands and islands, an experienced navigator, explorer and cartographer - that's who James Cook is. Read about his travels in this article.

Childhood and youth

The future navigator was born on October 27, 1728 in the village of Marton (England). His father was a poor farmer. Over time, the family moved to the village of Great Ayton, where James Cook was educated at a local school. Since the family was poor, James's parents were forced to give him as an apprentice to a shopkeeper who lived in the small seaside town of States.

As an 18-year-old boy, James Cook, whose biography tells of him as a hardworking and purposeful person, left his job with a shopkeeper and got hired as a cabin boy on a coal ship. Thus began his career as a sailor. The ship on which he went to sea for the first few years, mainly plying between London and England. He also managed to visit Ireland, Norway and the Baltic, and devoted almost all his free time to self-education, being interested in such sciences as mathematics, navigation , astronomy and geography. James Cook, who was offered a high position on one of the ships of the trading company, chose to enlist as an ordinary sailor in the British Navy. Later he took part in the Seven Years' War, and at its end he established himself as an experienced cartographer and topographer.

First trip around the world

In 1766, the British Admiralty decided to send a scientific expedition to the Pacific Ocean, the purpose of which was various observations of cosmic bodies, as well as some calculations. In addition, it was necessary to study the coast of New Zealand, discovered by Tasman back in 1642. James Cook was appointed the leader of the voyage. His biography, however, contains more than one journey in which he played a leading role.

James Cook sailed from Plymouth in August 1768. The expedition ship crossed the Atlantic, rounded South America and entered the Pacific Ocean. The astronomical assignment was completed on the island of Tahiti on June 3, 1769, after which Cook sent the ships in a south-westerly direction and four months later reached New Zealand, the coast of which he thoroughly explored before continuing the journey. Then he sailed towards Australia and, finding which at that time was not known to Europeans, rounded it from the north and on October 11, 1970 sailed to Batavia. In Indonesia, the expedition suffered an epidemic of malaria and dysentery, which killed a third of the team. From there, Cook headed west, crossed the Indian Ocean, circled Africa, and on July 12, 1771, returned to his homeland.

Second trip around the world

In the autumn of the same year, the British Admiralty again started another voyage. This time, his goal is to explore the still unexplored parts of the Southern Hemisphere and search for the alleged Southern Continent. This task was entrusted to James Cook.

Two ships of the expedition sailed from Plymouth on July 13, 1772, and on October 30 landed in Kapstadt (now Cape Town), located in southern Africa. After staying there for a little less than a month, Cook continued to sail in a southerly direction. In mid-December, travelers stumbled upon solid ice that blocked the way for ships, but Cook was not going to give up. He crossed the Antarctic Circle on January 17, 1773, but was soon forced to turn the ships to the north. Over the next few months, he visited several islands in Oceania and the Pacific, after which he made another attempt to break through to the south. On January 30, 1774, the expedition managed to reach the southernmost point of its voyage. Then Cook again headed north, visited several islands. James Cook, whose biography is full of discoveries, this time stumbled upon new islands. Having completed his research in this region, he sailed east and landed on Tierra del Fuego in December. The expedition returned to England on July 13, 1775.

Upon completion of this voyage, which made Cook very famous throughout Europe, he received a new promotion, and also became a member of the Royal Geographical Society, which also awarded him a gold medal.

Third trip around the world

The purpose of the next voyage was to search for a northwestern route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The journey of James Cook began in Plymouth, from where, on July 12, 1776, an expedition consisting of two ships left under his leadership. The navigators arrived in Kapstadt, and from there they went to the southeast and by the end of 1777 they had visited Tasmania, New Zealand and other places. In mid-December of the following year, the expedition visited the Hawaiian Islands, after which it continued to follow north, where Cook sent ships along the coast of Canada and Alaska, crossed and soon, finally stuck in solid ice, was forced to turn back south.

KUK (Cook) James (November 27, 1728, the village of Marton, Yorkshire, England - February 14, 1779, the island of Hawaii), an English navigator who circumnavigated the Earth three times, the first Antarctic navigator, the discoverer of the east coast of Australia, New Zealand; captain of the highest rank (corresponds to the Russian captain-commander; 1775), member of the Royal Society (1776).

Childhood, youth and the beginning of a sailor's career

Born into the family of a day laborer, from the age of 7 he began to work with his father, at 13 he began attending school, where he learned to read and write, at 17 he was hired as an apprentice clerk to a merchant in a fishing village and saw the sea for the first time. In 1746 he entered a ship's cabin boy, carrying coal, then became an assistant to the captain; went to Holland, Norway and the Baltic ports, making time for self-education. In June 1755 he enlisted in the British navy as a sailor, and two years later he was sent to Canada as a navigator. In 1762-67, already in command of a ship, he surveyed the shores of the island of Newfoundland, explored its interior, compiled sailing directions for the northern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Honduras. In 1768 he was promoted to lieutenant.

First circumnavigation

In 1768-71, Cook led an English expedition on the barque Endeavre, sent to the Pacific Ocean by the British Admiralty to identify the southern mainland and annex new lands to the British Empire. After the discovery of four islands from the group of the Society, he passed through the "empty" ocean for more than 2.5 thousand km and on October 8, 1769 reached an unknown land, with high, snow-covered mountains. It was New Zealand. For more than 3 months, Cook sailed along its shores and made sure that these were two large islands separated by a strait, which later received his name. In the summer, Cook first approached the east coast of Australia, which he declared a British possession (New South Wales), was the first to explore and map about 4 thousand km of its east coast and almost the entire (2300 km) he discovered the Great Barrier Reef. Cook passed through the Torres Strait to the island of Java and, rounding the Cape of Good Hope, returned home on July 13, 1771, having lost 31 people from tropical fever. Thanks to the diet he developed, none of the team had scurvy. Cook's first circumnavigation lasted a little over 3 years; he was awarded the rank of captain of the 1st rank.

Antarctic circumnavigation

The second expedition in 1772-75 on two ships - the sloop "Resolution" and the barge "Adventure" - was organized with the aim of searching for the southern mainland and exploring the islands of New Zealand and others. In January 1773, for the first time in the history of navigation, he crossed the Antarctic Circle (40 ° east longitude) and went beyond 66 ° south latitude. In the summer of 1773, twice more unsuccessfully, Cook tried to search for the Southern Continent, reaching 71 ° 10 "south latitude. Despite the conviction that there was land near the pole, he abandoned subsequent attempts, considering it impossible due to the accumulation of ice to continue sailing south. In the Pacific Ocean, he discovered (1774) the islands of New Caledonia, Norfolk and a number of atolls, and in the South Arctic - South Georgia and "Sandwich Land" (South Sandwich Islands).While sailing in Antarctic waters, he buried the legend of the giant inhabited Southern continent (which was refuted by Bellingshausen and Lazarev Cook was the first to meet and describe flat icebergs, which he called "ice islands".

Third voyage and the death of Cook

Expedition 1776-80 on two ships - "Resolution" and the sloop "Discovery" - was sent to search for the Northwest Passage from the Pacific to the Atlantic along the coast of North America and capture new lands. In the winter of 1777-78, Cook discovered 3 atolls from the Cook chain, 2 islands in the Line archipelago, 5 Hawaiian Islands. He passed along the northwestern coast of North America from 44 ° 20 "to 70 ° 44" north latitude and discovered Prince William, Cook, Bristol and Norton bays, continued the discovery of the St. ranges, confirming the presence of the Bering Strait between Asia and America. Having come across solid ice, he returned to the Hawaiian Islands for the winter, where he was killed in another fierce battle with the inhabitants.

Cook as a person and professional

Cook possessed outstanding abilities and "made himself" thanks to his great industriousness, unbending will and purposefulness. "Strive and achieve" is the motto of his life; he went to the intended goal courageously, not afraid of difficulties and failures, without losing his presence of mind. Cook was married and had 6 children who died in early childhood. More than 20 geographical features are named after him, including three bays, two groups of islands and two straits.