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Captain James Cook begins his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Resolution to search for Terra Australis (South

Captain James Cook begins his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Resolution to search for Terra Australis (Southern Continent)

Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 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.

Cook joined the British merchant navy as a teenager before enlisting in the Royal Navy in 1755. He first saw combat during the Seven Years' War, when he fought in the Siege of Louisbourg. Later in the war he surveyed and mapped much of the entrance to the St. Lawrence River during the Siege of Quebec.

Historical Significance

Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 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.

Key People

James Cook

explorer and naval officer

British explorer and naval officer

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Events Before

  1. Political activist Thomas Paine (34) weds second wife Elizabeth Ollive

    Political activist Thomas Paine (34) weds second wife Elizabeth Ollive

  2. King of France Louis XVIII weds princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy at the Palace of Versailles

    King of France Louis XVIII weds princess Maria Giuseppina of Savoy at the Palace of Versailles

  3. Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn scandalously marries commoner and widower Anne Horton, displeasing Georg

    Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn scandalously marries commoner and widower Anne Horton, displeasing George III, leading to the Royal Marriages Act of 1772

  4. Chemist Antione Lavoisier (28) marries Marie-Anne Paulze (13), the couple go on to make major discoveries in chemistry t

    Chemist Antione Lavoisier (28) marries Marie-Anne Paulze (13), the couple go on to make major discoveries in chemistry together

  5. Spain cedes the Falkland Islands to Britain

    The Falkland Islands, commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf.

Events After

  1. Captain James Cook becomes the first person to cross the Antarctic Circle (66°33′ S)

    Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer who led three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans between...

  2. Spanish painter Francisco Goya marries Josefa Bayeu in Madrid

    Spanish painter Francisco Goya marries Josefa Bayeu in Madrid

  3. American revolution patriot Paul Revere (38) weds Rachel Walker in Boston, Massachusetts

    American revolution patriot Paul Revere (38) weds Rachel Walker in Boston, Massachusetts

  4. American seamstress Elizabeth Griscom (Betsy Ross) weds American upholster John Ross at Huggs Tavern in Gloucester City,

    American seamstress Elizabeth Griscom (Betsy Ross) weds American upholster John Ross at Huggs Tavern in Gloucester City, New Jersey

  5. Boston Tea Party incident – Sons of Liberty protesters throw tea shipments into Boston Harbor to protest the British-imp

    Boston Tea Party incident – Sons of Liberty protesters throw tea shipments into Boston Harbor to protest the British-imposed Tea Act and escalating taxation without representation in the British Parliament

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Martha Skelton Jefferson was the wife of Thomas Jefferson from 1772 until her death in 1782. She served as First Lady of Virginia during Jefferson's term as governor from 1779 to 1781.

Date of action in Victor Herbert and Grant Stewart's opera "Madeleine"

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The London Credit Exchange Company issues the first traveler's cheques, which can be used in 90 European cities

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 13, 1772?
Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 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. Cook joined the British merchant navy as a teenager before enlisting in the Royal Navy in 1755.
Why is Captain James Cook begins his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Reso... significant?
Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 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.
Who was involved in Captain James Cook begins his second voyage to the South Seas aboard HMS Reso...?
Key figures include James Cook (explorer and naval officer).

Explore More

July 13 in HistoryYear 1772