Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, is widely recognized for his voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, which led to the European discovery of the Americas.

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, led the first expedition to successfully circumnavigate the globe, completing the journey in 1522.

John Speke, a British explorer, is credited with discovering the source of the Nile River in 1858, specifically Lake Victoria.

Robert Peary, an American explorer, is generally recognized as the first person to reach the North Pole, achieving this feat in 1909.

Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer, became the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911, beating Robert Falcon Scott's expedition by a month.

Alexandra David-Néel, a French explorer and writer, is renowned for her travels and studies in Tibet, becoming one of the first Western women to enter Lhasa in 1924.

Hiram Bingham, an American explorer and historian, is credited with discovering the ruins of Machu Picchu in 1911, bringing this ancient Inca city to the world's attention.

Percy Fawcett, a British explorer, gained fame for his expeditions into the Amazon rainforest, particularly his search for the lost city of Z.

Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer, and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese Sherpa, became the first people to successfully summit Mount Everest in 1953.

Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian explorer and scientist, is renowned for his polar expeditions, including his crossing of Greenland on skis in 1888.

David Livingstone, a Scottish explorer and missionary, is credited with discovering the Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River in 1855.

Gerhard Rohlfs, a German explorer and geographer, is renowned for his extensive travels and explorations in the Sahara Desert during the 19th century.

Heinrich Schliemann, a German businessman and amateur archaeologist, is credited with discovering the ruins of the ancient city of Troy in Turkey in the 19th century.

Henry Morton Stanley, a Welsh-American journalist and explorer, is renowned for his expeditions to the Congo River, including his search for David Livingstone in 1871.

Henri Mouhot, a French naturalist and explorer, is credited with discovering the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia in 1860, bringing this ancient Khmer temple complex to the world's attention.