Discoverers Web: Alphabetical List: M
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Alexander Mackenzie (Scotland, 1764?-1820)
- 1789: Follows the Mackenzie River to its mouth.
- 1793: Travels up the Peace River, crosses the Rocky Mountains, reaches
the Fraser and reaches the Pacific by way of the Bella Coola River.
- Sir Alexander Mackenzie
- Alexander Mackenzie - To the Pacific
- Alexander Mackenzie - same page in French
- Donald Baxter MacMillan (USA, 1874-1970)
- 1908-9: Member of Peary's final expedition.
- 1910-2: Lives in Labrador, doing ethnological research.
- 1913-7: Explores northwest of Axel Heiberg Island, searching for
(nonexistant) Crocker Land.
- 1920-1954: Several more expeditions to the Canadian Arctic.
- 1957: Flies over the North Pole.
- Rear Admiral Donald B. Macmillan
- Donald B. MacMillan
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Fernão de Magalhães (better known as Ferdinand Magellan, also known as Fernando de Magellanes, Portugal, 1480?-1521)
- 1505-12: Serves in the Indies, visiting Malacca and possibly the Moluccas.
- 1519-22: In Spanish service, discovers the Straits of Magellan and sails through them, crosses the Pacific and reaches the Philippines. Is killed when getting involved in a local war. Other members of his expedition complete the first circumnavigation.
- First Circumnavigation of the Globe by Magellan 1519-1522
- Ferdinand Magellan
- After dire straits an agonizing haul across the Pacific
- Ferdinand Magellan: The greatest voyager of them all
- Magellan, Ferdinand
- Ferdinand Magellan
- Ferdinand Magellan (in French)
- Ferdinand Magellan (links)
- Original account
- Jacques Mahu (Netherlands, died 1598)
- 1598: Leader of an expedition trying to reach the East Indies through the
Straits of Magellan. Dies of fevers on the Brazilian coast.
- Alejandro Malaspina (Italy, 1754-1810)
- 1789-94: Maps the coasts of America in great detail. Also visits the
Falklands, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Tonga. Later spent
several years in prison because of his opinion that Spain's American
colonies should become independent.
- The Alejandro Malaspina International Foundation
- Alonso de Castillo Maldonado (Spain)
- 1527-36: Joins the expedition of Pánfilo de Narváez to Florida. With Cabeza de Vaca and two others manages to return to Mexico by foot.
- Castillo Maldonado, Alonso
- Alonso de Castillo Maldonado
- Cabeza de Vaca
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Malinche (also known as Malintzin and
doña Marina, Aztek)
- Sold as a child into slavery in Tabasco. Later functioned as an
interpreter for Cortes, knowing both Mayan (and later also some Spanish) and
Nahuatl.
- La Malinche, Aztec Traitor?
- La Malinche, Unrecognized Heroine
- La Malinche; the Mexican Eve
- The Story of La Malinche: "The Mexican Eve": A Woman of Historical Contradictions
- Mythical Views of Malintzin, Malinche, Marina: the Virgin, the Harlot and the Heroine
- La Malinche - Harlot or Heroine?
- Quien es La Malinche? Beyond October 14
- Paul Mallet (France/Canada, ?-1753) and Pierre Antoine Mallet (France/Canada, 1700-?)
- 1739: Travel to Santa Fe from the Mississippi
- 1740: Descend the Canadian, cross the Texan panhandle, and travel down the
Arkansas and the Mississippi to New Orleans.
- 1741-2: Fail in an attempt to reach Santa Fe from New Orleans by way of
the Canadian
- 1750: Pierre travels from New Orleans to Santa Fe via the Red and the
Canadian.
- Mallet Expeditions
- John Mandeville (14th century)
- Claimed author for a very popular Medieval book, giving a fully
imaginary description of a world voyage.
- Exploration in the Medieval Period
- Thomas Manning (England, 1772-1840)
- 1811: Travels to Lhasa and meets the Dalai Lama.
- Jean-Baptiste Marchand (France, 1863-1934)
- 1890: Explores the sources of the Niger.
- 1892: Explores western Sudan.
- 1893-5: Travels through the inlands of Ivory Coast.
- 1897-8: Leader of a military expedition from Congo to Sudan. Has to
retreat after the Fashoda incident.
- Fashoda Incident
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Marcos de Niza (France, ?-1558)
- 1539: With Estéban (Estevanico), looks for rich cities north of
Mexico, and claims to have seen Cibola in New Mexico.
- 1540: Guide to Coronado on the latter's expedition to Cibola. Is sent
back in disgrace when it is found that 'Cibola' is merely a simple village.
- Niza, Marcos de
- Fray Marcos de Niza
- Randolph Barnes Marcy (USA, 1812-1887)
- 1849: Blazes a trail from Fort Smith, Texas to Santa Fe.
- 1851: Participant in an expedition to select sites for forts on the Texas
frontier.
- 1852: Explores large amounts of unknown territory in Texas and Oklahoma.
Discovers the sources of the Red River.
- 1854: Surveys Indian reservations in Texas.
- 1856: Explores the headwaters of the Big Wichita and Brazos rivers.
- José Mares (Spain)
- 1787: Blazes a trail from Santa Fe to San Antonio
- 1788: Returns to Santa Fe by a different route
- Giovanni de Marignolli (also known as John of Marignolli, Florence, dates unknown)
- 1338-53: Travels to China overland. Returns by sea after a stay in
Beijing of four years.
- Exploration in the Medieval Period
- Jacques Marquette (France, 1637-1675)
- 1673: With Jolliet, travels down the Mississippi until the mouth of
the Arkansas.
- Estéban José Martínez (Spain, 1742-1798)
- 1774: Second-in-command of the expedition of Pérez Hernández
to Alaska.
- 1788: Leader of an expedition to Alaska, reaches the Russian settlement
on the Aleutian island of Unalaska
- 1789: Attempts to coloniza Nootka.
- Peter Martyr (Italy, 1457-1526)
- Important writer about America and the Spanish voyages to the area.
- Peter Martyr d'Anghiera
- The New World Chronicles of Peter Martyr
- Francisco Antonio Maurelle (Spain)
- 1780-1: Blown off course from the Philippines to America, discovers
various Pacific islands, especially in the Tonga group.
- Damín Massanet (Spain)
- 1690: Establishes the mission of San Francisco de Los Tejas, the first
Spanish mission in eastern Texas.
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Douglas Mawson (Australia, 1882-1958)
- 1907-9: Member of Shackleton's Antarctic expedtion. Member of the group
that ascends Mount Erebus and reaches the South Magnetic Pole.
- 1911-4: Leads an expedition to Antarctica. Maps almost 10,000 km of
Antarctic coast.
- 1929-31: Leads another expedition to Antarctica.
- Antarctic Explorers: Douglas Mawson
- The Home of the Blizzard
- Sir Douglas Mawson
- Francis Leopold McClintock (Ireland, 1819-1907)
- 1848-9: Member of John Ross's expedition to search Franklin. With Ross
sledges along the coast of Somerset Island.
- 1851: Looking for Franklin, sledges from Cornwallis Island to Somerset
Island.
- 1853: Travelling by sledge from Melville Island discovers Prince Patrick
Island.
- 1857-9: Leads an expedition to search for Franklin, and finds the remains
of Franklin's expedition. Explores Boothia Peninsula.
- McClintock, Sir Francis Leopold
- Robert John Le Mesurier McClure (Ireland, 1807-1873)
- 1850-4: Looking for Franklin, sails to Canada through Bering Strait.
Reaches Prince of Wales Strait, but stuck in the ice at the west coast of
Banks Island. Is rescued by Belcher and returns to England through Baffin
Bay, thus completing the Northwest Passage although partly by sledges.
- McClure, Sir Robert John Le Mesurier
- Donald McKenzie (Scotland, 1783-1851)
- 1818-21: Makes three voyage to explore the region around Snake River,
and organizes fur trapping in the area.
- Alvaro de Mendaña de Nehra (Spain, 1541-1595)
- 1567-9: Looking for Terra Australis, discovers the Solomon Islands.
- 1595: Attempting to colonize the Solomon Islands, discovers the
Marquesas and Santa Cruz, but dies of illness.
- Juan Domínguez de Mendoza (Spain, 1631-?)
- 1654: Joins an expedition that treks from Santa Fe to present-day San
Angelo, Texas
- 1683-4: With Nicolás López establishes mission posts among
the Jumano Indians and explores Texas.
- Jorge de Meneses (Portugal)
- 1526: Discovers New Guinea.
- The Portuguese Empire
- Athanase de Mézières (France, 1719-1779)
- 1769: In Spanish service, named lieutenant governor of Natchitoches.
- 1770: First of several expeditions to the Red River.
- 1778-9: Forges an alliance with the Comanches and Norteños against
the Apaches.
- Christopher Middleton (England)
- 1741-2: Searches the Northwest Passage in service of the Hudson's Bay
Company. Sails north through Roe's Welcome Sound to Frozen Strait.
- Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (Scotland, 1792-1855)
- 1831: Explores the MacIntyre River.
- 1835: Explores the Bogan and the Darling.
- 18364: Follows the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Murray downstream to the Darling.
Travels south, reaching the coast at Discovery Bay.
- Pacific Explorers Library: Thomas Mitchell
- Thomas Mitchell
- Giovanni da Montecorvino (better known as John of Montecorvino Italy, 1247-1328)
- 1291-4: Travels to China as a missionary. Also preaches in Persia and
India.
- 1305: Named first archbishop of Cambaluc (Beijing).
- Exploration in the Medieval Period
- Francisco de Montejo (Spain)
- 1527: Fails in an attempt to conquer Yucatán.
- 1536: Made governor of Honduras.
- 1537-42: His son and nephew, both also called Francisco, conquer
Yucatán.
- Pierre du Gua, Sieur de Monts (France, 1558?-1628)
- 1604-7: Establishes a (short-lasting) colony in Port Royal, Nova Scotia.
- Pierre Du Gua de Monts
- Pierre du Gua de Monts (in French)
- Samuel de Champlain
- Luis de Moscoso Alvarado (Spain, 1505-1551)
- 1541-3: Takes over command of the expedition of De Soto after the latter's
death, and leads it back to Mexico.
- Hernando de Soto
- Balthazar de Moucheron (Netherlands, 1552-1630?)
- Major merchant, organized expeditions to Russia (1584), West Africa
(1594), North America (1595), South America (1597).
- 1594, 1595: Organizes two voyages to search for the Northeast passage.
- 1598: Sends out an expedition under the Houtman brothers to the East
Indies.
- Jens Munk (Denmark, 1579-1628)
- 1609, 1610: Member of two expeditions to search for the northeast passage.
- 1619-20: Searching for the northwest passage. Explores the west coast of
Hudson Bay.
- same page in German