EXPLORERS from Canada

Top 6

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Canadian Explorers of all time. This list of famous Canadian Explorers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Joshua Slocum (1844 - 1909)

With an HPI of 54.47, Joshua Slocum is the most famous Canadian Explorer.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages on wikipedia.

Joshua Slocum (February 20, 1844 – on or shortly after November 14, 1909) was the first person to sail single-handedly around the world. He was a Nova Scotian-born, naturalised American seaman and adventurer, and a noted writer. In 1900 he wrote a book about his journey, Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international best-seller. He disappeared in November 1909 while aboard his boat, the Spray.

2. Louis Jolliet (1645 - 1700)

With an HPI of 52.19, Louis Jolliet is the 2nd most famous Canadian Explorer.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Louis Jolliet (French pronunciation: [lwi ʒɔljɛ]; September 21, 1645 – after May 1700) was a French-Canadian explorer known for his discoveries in North America. In 1673, Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit Catholic priest and missionary, were the first non-Natives to explore and map the Upper Mississippi River.

3. Vilhjalmur Stefansson (1879 - 1962)

With an HPI of 50.64, Vilhjalmur Stefansson is the 3rd most famous Canadian Explorer.  His biography has been translated into 23 different languages.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson (November 3, 1879 – August 26, 1962) was an Arctic explorer and ethnologist. He was born in Manitoba, Canada.

4. Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (1661 - 1706)

With an HPI of 50.36, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville is the 4th most famous Canadian Explorer.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d'Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French colonist parents.

5. Edward Belcher (1799 - 1877)

With an HPI of 47.89, Edward Belcher is the 5th most famous Canadian Explorer.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Sir Edward Belcher (27 February 1799 – 18 March 1877) was a British naval officer, hydrographer, and explorer. Born in Nova Scotia, he was the great-grandson of Jonathan Belcher, who served as a colonial governor of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.

6. Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (1680 - 1767)

With an HPI of 46.65, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville is the 6th most famous Canadian Explorer.  His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ batist lə mwan də bjɛ̃vil]; ; February 23, 1680 – March 7, 1767), also known as Sieur de Bienville, was a French-Canadian colonial administrator in New France. Born in Montreal, he was an early governor of French Louisiana, appointed four separate times during 1701–1743. He was the younger brother of explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville.