1556day.year

Richard Chancellor

English explorer

English explorer
Richard Chancellor was an English explorer best known for establishing trade relations between England and Russia.
In 1553, Chancellor joined an expedition sponsored by the Muscovy Company in search of a Northeast Passage to Asia. Instead, he navigated into the White Sea and reached the court of Tsar Ivan the Terrible in Arkhangelsk. His diplomatic gifts and navigational skills secured the first formal alliance and trade agreement between England and Russia. Chancellor led subsequent voyages to map the northern coasts and oversee the fledgling English trade posts. His accounts expanded European understanding of the Arctic regions. He died in 1556 during a return voyage, but his efforts laid the groundwork for Anglo-Russian relations that endured for centuries.
1556 Richard Chancellor
1727day.year

Alphonse de Tonty

(1659 - 1727)

French-American sailor and explorer

French-American sailor and explorer
French naval officer and explorer active in early colonial North America.
Alphonse de Tonty (1659–1727) was a French naval officer and explorer who voyaged to the American colonies. He took part in France's early expeditions along Atlantic and interior waterways. His mapping efforts provided valuable information for establishing trading posts and settlements. Engaging with indigenous communities, he contributed to France's colonial presence in North America. While details of his later years are limited, his work exemplifies 17th-century European exploration.
1727 Alphonse de Tonty
1936day.year

Louis Gustave Binger

(1856 - 1936)

French general and explorer

French general and explorer
French army officer and explorer who charted vast regions of West Africa in the late 19th century.
Louis Gustave Binger was born in 1856 and pursued a career in the French colonial army. In 1887–1889, he led an expedition from Senegal to the Niger River, mapping unknown territories. His explorations helped France extend its influence in modern-day Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Binger documented ethnographic, geographic, and political observations in his published journals. He was promoted to general and later served as governor in several African colonies. He died in Paris in 1936, remembered for his contributions to French colonial exploration and African studies.
1936 Louis Gustave Binger