O

Odoric of Pordenone (also known as Oderico da Pordenone, Italy, ?-1331)

1316-30: Travels to China by way of India, and returns to Italy by land. Probably the first European to visit Lhasa.

Exploration in the Medieval Period

Peter Skene Ogden (Canada, 1794-1854)

1824-5: Explores the Bear and Snake Rivers, and reaches the Great Salt Lake.

1825-7: Traps for furs in the region south of the Columbia.

1828-9: Discovers the Humboldt River and follows its course.

1829-30: Travels south from the Columbia via the Humboldt and the Great Basin to the Colorado, following that river to the sea. On his route back north explores the San Joaquin Valley. First white man to cross the American West in the north-south direction.

Dictionary of Canadian Biography: Ogden, Peter Skene

Utah History Encyclopedia: Peter Skene Ogden

Mountain Men and Fur Trade Homepage: Peter Skene Ogden's Snake Country Journals

Chris Bristol: Getting explorer on the map

Alonso de Ojeda (also known as Alonso de Hojeda, Spain, 1468?-1515)

1493-5: Takes part in Columbus's second voyage. Travels into the interior of Hispaniola.

1499-1500: Explores the northeast coast of South America. Discovers the Essequibo and Orinoco rivers, the Gulf of Venezuela and the Lake of Maracaibo.

1502: Travels to Venezuela to collect pearls.

1508: Attempts to establish a colony at present-day Cartagena, Colombia. Has all his men killed in an Indian attack.

1510: Establishes a short-lived colony on the Gulf of Uraba, Colombia.

Peter Bigorajski: Hojeda (Ojeda), Alonso de

Catholic Encyclopedia: Alonso de Ojeda

Martín Cagliani: Alonso de Ojeda (in Spanish)

Publius Historicus: Alonso de Ojeda (in French)

Peter Martyr: De Orbo Novo (excerpt)

Olaus Magnus (Sweden, 1490-1557)

1518-9: Visits northern Scandinavia

1539: Draws the 1539 Carta Marina, a map of Scandinavia

1555: Writes Historia de Gentibus Septentronalibus. Like his map, provided much information on this still little-known region.

Rune Blix Hagen: Olaus Magnus og hans historieverk om Norden fra 1500-tallet (in Norwegian)

Olaus Magnus och Carta marina (in Swedish)

Catholic Encyclopedia: Olaus Magnus

Northern lights route: Olaus Magnus

Olaus Magnus: Description of Scricfinnia

Cristóbal de Olid (Spain, 1492?-1524)

1522: In service of Cortes, travels to western Mexico and explores the Pacific coast.

1523-4: Sent out to conquer Honduras by Cortes, but switches allegiance to the Cuban governor Velázquez before doing so.

Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares (Spain, dates unknown)

1700: Founds the mission of San Francisco Solano, Texas

1709: Joins an expedition to eastern Texas

1718: Founds the mission of San Antonio de Valero, Texas

Handbook of Texas Online: Espinosa-Olivares-Aguirre Expedition

Juan de Oñate (Spain, 1549?-1624)

1597-8: Starts the colonization of New Mexico. Establishes his capital San Juan de los Caballeros.

1601: Travels to Kansas, looking for Quivira.

1605: Reaches the mouth of the Colorado River from New Mexico.

1609: Recalled to Spain and put on trial for misconduct.

Handbook of Texas Online: Oñate, Juan de

Handbook of Texas Online: Oñate Expedition

Albuquerque Journal: Juan de Oñate

Public History: Cuortocentennial of Colonization of New Mexico

Compton's Encyclopedia: Oñate, Juan de

Columbia Encylopedia: Oñate, Juan de

Juan de los Caballeros: Captain Farfan and his forgotten trail

Francisco de Orellana (Spain, 1511?-1546)

1531: Joins Pizarro in the conquest of Peru.

1541-3: Joins Hernando Pizarro on an expedition eastward. Sent downstream the Coca River in a boat to find food, but decides to continue downstream, and follows the Amazon River to the Atlantic.

1545-6: Attempts to explore and colonize the Amazon, suffers from shipwrecks and desertions and dies.

Ottar (also known as Ohthere, Norway)

ca. 890: Sails north along the Norwegian coast, and reaches the White Sea area.

Irish and Vikings

Walter Oudney (Scotland, 1792?-1824)

1822-4: With Clapperton and Denham, travels to Lake Chad as the first Europeans to do so. Travels westward to the Niger with Clapperton, but dies before reaching Kano.

Hugh Clapperton

Adolf Overweg (Germany, 1823-1852)

1850-2: Travels to Lake Chad with Richardson and Barth, and dies there.

Heinrich Barth

John Oxley (England, 1783-1828)

1817: Leads an expedition to the area west of Bathurst and explores the Lachlan.

1818: Explores the Macquarie River and discovers the Liverpool Plains.

Pacific Island Travel: Pacific Explorers Library: John Oxley

Brisbane City Council: Oxley came to Brisbane in 1823...

David Reilly: John Oxley

G.A. McBryde: John Oxley

Martin Westphal: John Oxley