Marco Polo was an intrepid Venetian explorer, often credited with bridging medieval Europe and Far East Asia through his extensive travels.
Laurence Sterne was an 18th-century Irish-born English writer, known for his satirical novel "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman", which broke new ground in narrative form and humor.
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led the first European expedition to Florida and the southeastern United States.
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who discovered the Pacific Ocean from the New World in 1513.
Diogo Cão was a Portuguese explorer who discovered the Congo River and mapped much of West Africa's coastline in the 15th century.
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese explorer and navigator who discovered Brazil in 1500, establishing a new trade route to Asia.
Henry Hudson was an English explorer who navigated the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans in search of a Northwest Passage to Asia.
Emil Oskar Nobel, a Swedish chemist, engineer, and inventor, is best known for creating dynamite and establishing the Nobel Prizes.