History · 2

Which Norse explorer is credited with reaching North America around 1000 CE, approximately 500 years before Columbus's 1492 voyage?

Answer

Leif Erikson

Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer from Iceland, sailed to a place he called Vinland (believed to be in present-day Newfoundland, Canada) around 1000 CE. Archaeological evidence at L'Anse aux Meadows confirms a Norse settlement predating Columbus by roughly 500 years.

💡 Did you know?

Viking explorer Leif Erikson reached North America around 1000 AD—500 years before Columbus—yet left no lasting settlements or written records.

Other options people guess

  • Erik the Red
  • Bjarne Herjolfsson
  • Thorvald Erikson

Topics

  • vikings
  • exploration
  • norse
  • north-america
  • medieval

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