Amerigo Vespucci
Italian explorer, financier, navigator, and cartographer
Background
Amerigo Vespucci was born and raised in Florence, Italy. He sailed out of invitation of king Manuel l of Portugal and under the Portuguese flag. On May 10, 1497, he embarked on his first voyage and sailed through the West Indies and made their way to the mainland of Central America. In May of 1499, he embarked on his next expedition as a navigator. He crossed equator and explored the coast of Brazil and found the Amazon River and Cape St. Augustine. On May 14, 1501, he sailed on his third voyage that sailed along the coast of South America from Cape Sao Roque to Pantagonia. He discovered present-day Rio de Janeiro and Rio de la Plata. On June 10, 1503, he sailed back to Brazil but didn't make any new discoveries ending his fourth voyage. Amerigo died February 22, 1512. Amerigo Vespucci helped discover the New World (America). He was also the first person to set foot in Brazil. They named the second super-continent "America", deriving its name from Americus, the Latin version of Vespucci's first name.