George Vancouver
| George Vancouver | |
|---|---|
A portrait from the late 18th century by an unknown artist believed to depict George Vancouver
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| Born |
22 June 1757 King's Lynn, Norfolk, England |
| Died | 10 May 1798 (aged 40) Petersham, Surrey, England |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands held | HMS Discovery (Vancouver Expedition, 1791–95) |
| Signature |  |
Captain George Vancouver (22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was an English officer of the Royal Navy, best known for his 1791–95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. He also explored the Hawaiian Islands and the southwest coast of Australia.
In Canada, Vancouver Island and the city Vancouver are named after him, as are Vancouver, Washington, in the United States, Mount Vancouver on the Yukon/Alaska border, and New Zealand's sixth highest mountain.
George Vancouver was born in King's Lynn on 22 June 1757 as the sixth, and youngest, child of John Jasper Vancouver, a Deputy Collector of Customs, and Bridget Berners.
In 1771, at the age of 13, George Vancouver entered the Royal Navy as a "young gentleman", a future candidate for midshipman. He was selected to serve as a midshipman aboard HMS Resolution, on James Cook's second voyage (1772–1775) searching for Terra Australis. He also accompanied Cook's third voyage (1776–1780), this time aboard Resolution's sister ship, Discovery, and was present during the first European sighting and exploration of the Hawaiian Islands. Upon his return to Britain in October 1780, Vancouver was commissioned as a lieutenant and posted aboard the sloop Martin initially on escort and patrol duty in the English Channel and North Sea. He accompanied the ship when it left Plymouth on 11 February 1782 for the West Indies. On 7 May 1782 he was appointed fourth Lieutenant of the HMS Fame which was at the time part of the British West Indies Fleet and assigned to patrolling the French-held Leeward Islands. Vancouver returned to England in June 1783.
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