James Cook

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Experience a tour of the replica of HMS Endeavour with James Cook aboard the voyage

James Cook, oil painting by John Webber; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

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James Cook

Q: Who was James Cook?

James Cook was a British naval captain, navigator, and explorer who sailed the seaways and coasts of Canada and conducted three expeditions to the Pacific Ocean (1768–71, 1772–75, and 1776–79), ranging from the Antarctic ice fields to the Bering Strait and from the coasts of North America to Australia and New Zealand.

Q: How did James Cook die?

James Cook was killed on a beach at Kealakekua in Hawaii during a dispute with native peoples over the theft of a boat.

Q: Why was the Endeavour voyage led by James Cook significant?

The Endeavour voyage led by James Cook included scientists, and the wealth of scientifically collected material from the voyage was unique. The expedition established the useful principle of sending scientists on naval voyages—e.g., Charles Darwin in the Beagle —and stimulated interest not only in new lands but in many other scientific subjects.

Q: How did James Cook prevent scurvy on his ships?

As a captain, James Cook prevented scurvy on his ships by ensuring cleanliness and ventilation in the crew’s quarters. Cook insisted on an appropriate diet that included cress, sauerkraut, and a kind of orange extract. The health in which he maintained his sailors, in consequence, made his name a naval byword.

Q: Why was James Cook awarded the Copley Medal?

James Cook was awarded one of the Royal Society's highest honours, the gold Copley Medal, for a paper that he prepared on his work against scurvy.

British naval officer

Written by Alan John Villiers

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Dec 7, 2024 • Article History

Quick Facts

Born:: October 27, 1728, Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England

Died:: February 14, 1779, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii (aged 50)

Awards And Honors:: Copley Medal (1776)

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Who was James Cook?

How did James Cook die?

Why was the Endeavour voyage led by James Cook significant?

How did James Cook prevent scurvy on his ships?

Why was James Cook awarded the Copley Medal?

News •

Medal from Captain Cook's voyage sells for £6,500 in Wiltshire • Dec. 4, 2024, 2:09 AM ET (BBC)

Rare medal from Captain Cook’s second voyage to be auctioned • Nov. 26, 2024, 3:52 AM ET (BBC)

James Cook (born October 27, 1728, Marton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, England—died February 14, 1779, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii) was a British naval captain, navigator, and explorer who sailed the seaways and coasts of Canada (1759 and 1763–67) and conducted three expeditions to the Pacific Ocean (1768–71, 1772–75, and1776–79), ranging from the Antarctic ice fields to the Bering Strait and from the coasts of North America to Australia and New Zealand. James Cook was the son of a farmhand migrant from Scotland. While Cook was still a child, his father became the foreman on a farm in a neighbouring village. Young James early showed ...(100 of 1487 words)

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