The son
of a Scottish farmer, Joining the Royal Navy in 1755.He was chosen by the Royal Society of London to observe and document Planet Venus. This helped to calculate the the distance of the Earth from the Sun.
He was tasked by the Royal Navy to find the Southern Continent and claim it for England.
He used the First Chronometer's to keep track of time aboard ship.
His journeys took him around the world, to places such as Tahiti, Java, New Zealand (He attacked the Maori's, Australia (where his ship ran aground), Hawaii.
He was killed by Hawaiian natives when he took one of there chief's Hostage.
Notable Dates:
1768-1771 Set sail on the Endeavour, to Tahiti for the observation of Venus,
arrived in April 1769.
1769 Carrying secret orders from the Royal Navy he opened them to find he
had been instructed to find the southern continent and claim it for
England.
He arrived in New Zealand and proved this was not part of the the
Southern Continent
1772-1775 Set sail on the Resolution to find the Southern Continent
1778 Sighted the Hawaiian Islands, Naming them the Sandwich Islands
1779 Concluded there was no northwest passage, and return towards the
Hawaiian Islands.