[ 1497 ]

A Venetian citizen and skilled mariner, John Cabot proposed to discover a shorter route to the spice trade of the Far East by sailing westward in the northern latitudes.  Under the authority of King Henry VII of England, Cabot left Bristol in May 1497 in a small ship, the Matthew, with a crew of about 18.  On 24 June, St. John the Baptist’s Day, he made landfall, most likely on the northern tip of Newfoundland.  There he went ashore and planted the royal standard, claiming the land for King Henry VII. After exploring the eastern coast of the island but not landing again, Cabot returned to England by late August.