November 01

Born in 1598, Jean Nicolet served the Compagnie des Cents-Associés in New France. In 1634 he embarked on a pioneering expedition down the St. Laurent River and Great Lakes. Disguised in native attire, he negotiated with the Ho-Chunk people and is credited with being the first European to set foot on what is now Wisconsin. Nicolet hoped to find a water route to the Pacific or China but instead mapped previously unknown parts of Lake Michigan. His journeys expanded French influence and fur trade networks in North America.

Born in 1838, Nikolay Przhevalsky embarked on a series of exploratory missions across Central Asia. His detailed observations and mappings provided invaluable insights into previously uncharted regions. He identified numerous geographical features and contributed to the scientific understanding of Asian landscapes. Przhevalsky’s expeditions, often undertaken under extreme conditions, earned him recognition among European geographers. He died during his fifth journey in 1888, leaving a legacy of exploration and cartographic achievement.