Captain James Cook (1728-1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer, who led three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans between 1768 and 1779.
He completed the first recorded circumnavigation of the main islands of New Zealand, and led the first recorded visit by Europeans to the east coast of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands.
In 1779, during his second visit to Hawaii, Cook was killed when a dispute with local Hawaiians turned ugly.
His voyages left a legacy of scientific and geographical knowledge that influenced navigation all over the world well into the 20th century.
A.G. Munson
