Abel Tasman
Dutch seafarer, explorer and merchant (1603–1659)
- Fame69.9
- Momentum11.5
- Netherlands rank#58
- Fame69.9
- Momentum11.5
- Netherlands rank#58
- Historical Figures rank#87
- Wikipedia19.3K
He sailed past an entire continent without realizing it. Tasman charted Tasmania and became the first European to sight New Zealand, then turned back — missing Australia's east coast and leaving the Pacific's biggest question unanswered for another century.
About
Born around 1603 in Lutjegast, Tasman worked as a merchant seaman before joining the Dutch East India Company in 1633 and sailing to Batavia. In 1642 the VOC sent him to probe the uncharted Southern Pacific for trade routes: he tracked east through the Roaring Forties, named the coast of Van Diemen's Land after his patron Anthony van Diemen, then pushed northeast to sight New Zealand's west coast, which he called Staten Landt. A clash with Māori on the South Island killed four of his men; he returned to Batavia having opened no trade and made no lasting contact. He continued with the Company u…
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- WikipediaHigh confidencewikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
- WikidataHigh confidencewikidata · wikidata.org
- Pantheon 2.0High confidencedatabase · pantheon.world
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