George Vancouver
George Vancouver | |
|---|---|
A portrait from the late 18th century by an unknown artist, believed to depict George Vancouver | |
| Born | 22 June 1757 King's Lynn, Norfolk |
| Died | 10 May 1798 (aged 40) Petersham, Surrey |
| Allegiance | Great Britain |
| Service | Royal Navy |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands | HMS Discovery |
| Signature | |
Captain George Vancouver (/vænˈkuːvər/; 22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer best known for leading the Vancouver Expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of what became the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California. The expedition also explored the Hawaiian Islands and the southwest coast of Australia.
Various places named for Vancouver include Vancouver Island; the city of Vancouver in British Columbia; Vancouver River on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia; Vancouver, Washington, in the United States; Mount Vancouver on the Canadian–US border between Yukon and Alaska; and New Zealand's fourth-highest mountain, also Mount Vancouver.