James Cook

Circumnavigating in HMS Dolphin, Wallis's expedition sighted Tahiti on 18 June 1767 and made the first European landfall there in June 1767.

After the voyage, Wallis reached England in May 1768 and passed useful Pacific information to James Cook, though whether they met is unknown.

The Royal Society petitioned King George III in February 1768 to finance a scientific expedition to observe the 1769 transit of Venus.

On 5 May 1768, on Hugh Palliser's recommendation, the Admiralty selected the 39-year-old Cook to lead the voyage.

On 27 May 1768 Cook took command of the Earl of Pembroke, a collier purchased for the Society's expedition.

On 21 July 1768 Endeavour sailed to Gallions Reach on the Thames to load armaments for protection in the Pacific.

In late August 1768 Endeavour departed Plymouth carrying 18 months of provisions for 94 people, beginning the first voyage; sources disagree on whether the date was 25 or 26 August.

Endeavour reached Tahiti on 13 April 1769, positioning the expedition for the transit observations.

The expedition observed the 3 June 1769 transit of Venus from Tahiti, the voyage's principal scientific aim.

Endeavour reached New Zealand in early October 1769, the first European vessel there since Tasman in 1642.

The first encounters between Māori and Europeans at Poverty Bay over two days left four or five Māori dead.

Further south, encounters at Anaura Bay and Tolaga Bay were peaceful, with Tupaia interpreting and trade following.

Cook landed HMS Endeavour at Botany Bay on 29 April 1770, the first European landing on the Australian mainland.

The bay was renamed Botany Bay due to the large quantity of plants found by Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander.

Cook charted the eastern coast of New Holland and claimed it for Great Britain in 1770.

HMS Endeavour struck a reef within the Great Barrier Reef system on the night of 11 June 1770.

The damaged vessel required seven weeks of repairs following the grounding incident.

The two ships, 450 and 336 tons, were renamed Resolution and Adventure on the Admiralty's suggestion to avoid diplomatic tension with Spain.

After a delay from Joseph Banks' modification requests, Cook's two ships sailed from Plymouth Sound on 13 July 1772, bound for the Antarctic.

On 17 January 1773, Cook's crew became the first recorded Europeans to cross the Antarctic Circle during the second voyage.

Furneaux explored the south and east coasts of Van Diemen's Land, creating the earliest British chart of the island.

Cook claimed New Caledonia in the name of his king after setting foot on the island.

Cook sighted New Caledonia on 4 September 1774 and named it after Scotland due to its resemblance.

Cook arrives at Norfolk Island on 10 October 1774 aboard HMS Resolution.

Following Cook's return in 1775, preparations for another voyage were already underway, with two ships fitted out for the expedition.

On 12 July 1776 Cook sailed from Plymouth in HMS Resolution, beginning the third voyage, an attempt to discover the Northwest Passage.

Captain James Cook visited the Pacific atoll of Kiritimati, also known as Christmas Island, on Christmas Eve, 24 December 1777, during his third voyage.

In 1781, Tobias Conrad Lotter mapped the island in Augsburg as île des Tortues (Turtles Island), following Cook's 1777 visit.

Cook's expedition became the first recorded Europeans to see the Hawaiian Islands on 18 January 1778, naming them the Sandwich Islands.

On 2 February 1778, with little water secured and trading opportunities lost, Cook and Clerke left the Hawaiian group.

Cook returned to the Hawaiian Islands in late November 1778, stopping first in Maui, during his second visit to the archipelago.

Hawaiians stole one of Cook's cutters on 13 February 1779, precipitating the fatal confrontation.

Cook was killed on 14 February 1779 while attempting to kidnap Kalaniʻōpuʻu as hostage for a stolen cutter.

Under Clerke's leadership, the ships left Kealakekua Bay on 23 February 1779, following Cook's charting plan.