Cook, James Cook, James (1728-1779), English Navigator.
Was born on 27 October 1728 in Marton-in-Cleveland (Yorkshire). Proved himself as a capable sailor, enlisted in the Navy, where he received the rank of Midshipman.
In 1759-1767 explored the coast of R. SV.Lawrence, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. The accuracy of the compiled maps have attracted the attention of the Royal geographical society and the Admiralty chose him to perform special tasks. Along with Charles green, the astronomer Geographical society, he had to watch the passage of planet Venus across the disc of the Sun on 3 June 1769 from Tahiti. Then he had to go to the South-West to search for a hypothetical southern continent and explore New Zealand, the East coast of which was discovered in 1642 by Dutch sailor Abel Tasman. Spacious flat-bottomed vessel cook "Whitby" carrying capacity of 368 tons, renamed "endeavour", August 26, 1768 and went to the Cape horn.
Having conducted observations at Tahiti and surveyed the neighboring Society Islands, cook sailed South to 40??Yu.sh., and then West, until October 7, 1769 have not reached New Zealand. For six months, he skirted the shores of the archipelago, mistaking Peninsula banks island and conceding Strait Favo. However, in General, the first survey of the coast of New Zealand proved to be quite accurate, failed to prove the lack of its connection with the Southern continent.
Cook decided to return home along the East coast of Australia, which he named New South Wales. Cook reached Australian shores on 19 April 1770, having passed Bass Strait, which separates it from Tasmania. "Endeavour" was to the North in the shallow waters of the Great Barrier Reef fringing the North-Eastern coast of Australia. June 10, the ship ran aground, but managed to shoot, bringing ashore and repaired. 16 Aug when looking out to the open sea, the ship almost ran into the main reef. Sailed through the Strait between Australia and New Guinea, cook has allowed long-standing question about its existence.
For repair of 11 Oct cook arrived in Batavia (now Jakarta), where many crew members died from malaria and dysentery. In England cook returned in July 1771. 13 July 1772 cook went into the second journey in search of the southern continent, a converted Collier ", Resolucin" accompanied by the ship "adventure" under the command of T. Fern. Cook first explored the waters South of Africa, while 67??Yu.sh., in the area of modern Enderby Land, he blocked the path of a continuous cover of ice. Cook crossed the Indian ocean along 60??Yu.sh., and Fern swam directly to the North. After spending approximately two months in New Zealand, cook joined the "Adventure". In June, both ships went on a journey across the Pacific ocean, rowed half way along the 45??Yu.sh., and then turned North and, moving clockwise, visited the Islands of Tahiti, Tonga and New Zealand. During a storm the ships parted, and Fern, losing part of a team in a skirmish with the cannibals Maori, returned to England.
In November 1773 cook went to the South Pacific, sailing first to the South to 67??Yu.sh., then North to 48??Yu.sh. and again South to the 71?10' s.sh., 160?54' s.d., where he was stopped by ice. On the way to New Zealand conducted a survey of Easter island, the Marquesas Islands and New Hebrides, discovered New Caledonia, the Islands of Palmerston, Niue and Norfolk. In November 1774 crossed the Pacific ocean along the 55??Yu.sh. and around the horn have discovered the ice-covered South sandwich Islands and South Georgia. In July 1775 he returned to England.
During the next expedition, cook set out to find the Northwest passage from Europe to the countries of the East. This expedition sailed in July 1776 in ships ", Resolucin" and "discovery". Cook visited the Central part of the Pacific ocean, discovered some of the Islands of the archipelagos of Hawaii and the cook got to the North America off the coast of modern Oregon in March 1778. From there proceeded North to the Bering Strait, where 70?44' N. lat. came across the ice cap.
After that, cook went to the Hawaiian you and in January 1779 anchored at the island of Hawaii. A week later, cook was forced to disembark in order to repair the broken fore-mast, where he was killed by the natives. Was buried 14 Feb 1779 in the Bay of Kealakekua (island of Hawaii).