35 moments

1. Born at Marton

   1728-10-27 · Marton, Middlesbrough, England

   

   James Cook was born at Marton-in-Cleveland in Yorkshire.

2. Begins Whitby apprenticeship

   1746-01-01 · Whitby, North Yorkshire, England

   Cook entered a three-year apprenticeship with Whitby shipowner John Walker, beginning the maritime training that preceded his naval career. Source supports year precision only.

3. Present at surrender of Louisbourg

   1758-07-01 · Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

   

   As master of HMS Pembroke, Cook served during the British siege and surrender of Louisbourg. Month precision supported; exact day not stated in source passage.

4. Surveys the St Lawrence approaches to Quebec

   1759-01-01 · Québec City, Quebec, Canada

   

   Cook helped sound and chart the St Lawrence during the British campaign against Quebec. Year-level card; coordinates represent Quebec, while the work extended along the St Lawrence.

5. Returns to England and marries in London

   1762-12-21 · London, England

   After North American service, Cook married Elizabeth Batts in London.

6. Surveys Saint-Pierre and Miquelon

   1763-01-01 · Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon

   

   During the first season of his Newfoundland commission, Cook surveyed Saint-Pierre and Miquelon before their restoration to France. Year precision supported; coordinates represent Saint-Pierre.

7. Observes eclipse off Newfoundland

   1766-07-01 · Eclipse Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

   

   During his Newfoundland survey work, Cook made astronomical observations from Eclipse Island. Source itself qualifies the exact island as “apparently”; coordinates are representative.

8. Sails from Funchal

   1768-09-19 · Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

   

   On the Endeavour’s outward passage, Cook sailed from Funchal after replenishing wine and water.

9. Arrives at Rio de Janeiro

   1768-11-14 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

   

   Endeavour anchored near the city of Rio de Janeiro for water, provisions and repairs.

10. Anchors in Matavai Bay, Tahiti

    1769-04-13 · Royal Bay (Matavai Bay), Tahiti, French Polynesia

    

    Cook reached Tahiti for the expedition’s Transit of Venus observations and a three-month stay.

11. Lands on Huahine

    1769-07-17 · Fare, Huahine, French Polynesia

    

    Cook anchored at Huahine and went ashore with Banks, Solander and others. Coordinates represent Fare/Owarhe harbour area.

12. Lands at Poverty Bay

    1769-10-09 · Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Poverty Bay), Gisborne, New Zealand

    

    Cook went ashore at the river mouth in Poverty Bay during the first sustained encounter of the Endeavour voyage with Māori in New Zealand. Coordinates represent the historic river-mouth landing area at Gisborne.

13. Explores Mercury Bay

    1769-11-10 · Mercury Bay, Waikato, New Zealand

    

    Cook explored the river at the head of Mercury Bay while surveying New Zealand's North Island. Journal section is explicitly Mercury Bay; coordinates represent Whitianga/Mercury Bay.

14. Anchors in Bay of Islands

    1769-11-29 · Bay of Islands, Northland, New Zealand

    

    While charting New Zealand, Cook entered the Bay of Islands and anchored near Motu Arohia. The journal footnote identifies the bay in this sentence as the Bay of Islands; coordinates represent the anchorage vicinity near Motu Arohia.

15. Off Cape Maria van Diemen

    1770-01-01 · Cape Maria van Diemen, Northland, New Zealand

    

    Cook persisted off New Zealand’s far north in difficult weather while completing his coastal survey. Cook was offshore; coordinates mark the cape rather than the ship’s exact position.

16. Anchors at Ship Cove

    1770-01-16 · Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand

    Cook anchored Endeavour in Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, during his circumnavigation of New Zealand. The same journal passage identifies the anchorage as Ship Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound.

17. Attempts first landing on Australian coast

    1770-04-28 · New South Wales coast near Bulli, Australia

    

    Cook, Banks, Solander and Tupaia approached shore in a yawl but heavy surf prevented landing south of Botany Bay. Representative coastal point; the journal describes an attempted landing, not a successful landing.

18. Anchors in Botany Bay

    1770-04-29 · Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia

    Endeavour entered Botany Bay, where Cook and the expedition made their first sustained Australian landfall. The journal section is explicitly headed Botany Bay; coordinates represent the bay rather than the precise 1770 anchorage.

19. Goes ashore near Cape Grafton

    1770-06-10 · Cape Grafton, Queensland, Australia

    

    Cook anchored near Cape Grafton and personally went ashore while searching for fresh water.

20. Endeavour strikes the Great Barrier Reef

    1770-06-11 · Endeavour Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia

    

    Endeavour grounded on a reef off the Queensland coast, forcing emergency repairs that shaped the remainder of the voyage. The reef was later identified as Endeavour Reef; coordinates are the accepted approximate grounding location.

21. Arrives at Batavia

    1770-10-11 · Batavia (Jakarta), Indonesia

    

    Endeavour reached Batavia for major repairs; disease there subsequently devastated the crew. Journal notes local date Thursday 11 October, while ship reckoning was Wednesday 10.

22. Anchors at St Helena

    1771-05-01 · Jamestown, Saint Helena

    

    On the homeward leg, Cook anchored off Jamestown at St Helena.

23. Crosses Antarctic Circle

    1773-01-17 · Southern Ocean

    During the second voyage, Cook became the first known navigator to cross the Antarctic Circle. Coordinates convert Cook’s stated noon latitude 66°36′30″S and longitude 39°35′E.

24. Enters Dusky Bay

    1773-03-26 · Dusky Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand

    Resolution entered Dusky Bay to recover after months in the Southern Ocean and remained for refit and replenishment. Date is supported by the chapter chronology for the arrival; coordinates represent Dusky Sound.

25. Anchors at Ship Cove on second voyage

    1773-05-18 · Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand

    After recovering from the first Antarctic cruise at Dusky Bay, Cook reached Queen Charlotte Sound and reunited with Adventure.

26. Anchors at Tongatapu

    1773-10-01 · Tongatapu, Tonga

    

    Cook anchored in Van Diemen's Road at Amsterdam Island, now Tongatapu, during his first visit to Tonga on the second voyage. Month precision used; Amsterdam is Cook-era naming for Tongatapu.

27. Reaches Easter Island

    1774-03-11 · Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile

    Cook sighted Easter Island during the second voyage, then examined its coast and monumental statues. Coordinates represent central Rapa Nui; ship was initially offshore.

28. Anchors in Resolution Bay, Marquesas

    1774-04-01 · Resolution Bay, Tahuata, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia

    

    Cook reached the Marquesas and anchored at St Christina in what he called Resolution Bay. Month precision used because the extracted passage does not itself carry the day; coordinates represent Resolution Bay on Tahuata (St Christina).

29. Anchors in Table Bay

    1775-03-22 · Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

    

    On the second voyage homeward leg, Cook anchored in Table Bay and learned details of Adventure’s return and losses. Cook’s ship date was Wednesday 22; local date was Tuesday 21.

30. Anchors in Plymouth Sound before third voyage

    1776-06-30 · Plymouth Sound, Plymouth, England

    

    Resolution anchored in Plymouth Sound to complete preparations before Cook's third Pacific voyage.

31. Departs Tenerife

    1776-08-04 · Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

    

    After replenishing at Tenerife, Cook sailed onward toward the Cape of Good Hope.

32. Goes ashore at Kerguelen

    1776-12-28 · Cape St Louis, Kerguelen Islands, French Southern and Antarctic Lands

    

    At Kerguelen, Cook climbed Cape St Louis while examining the desolate coast during the third voyage. Date follows the source chronology: the previous day is identified as 27 December; coordinates are representative for Cape St Louis.

33. Anchors in Adventure Bay

    1777-01-01 · Adventure Bay, Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia

    Cook brought Resolution and Discovery into Adventure Bay in Van Diemen's Land for wood, water and grass for livestock. Month precision used; Cook gives Adventure Bay at 43°21′20″S, 147°29′E, but modern coordinates differ slightly depending on anchorage point.

34. Returns to Queen Charlotte Sound

    1777-02-01 · Ship Cove, Queen Charlotte Sound, New Zealand

    

    On the third voyage, Cook anchored again in Queen Charlotte Sound, his fourth visit there. Month precision used here to avoid unsupported day in extracted passage.

35. Killed at Kealakekua Bay

    1779-02-14 · Kaʻawaloa, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaiʻi, United States

    

    Cook went ashore at Kowrowa to take King Kalaniʻōpuʻu aboard as leverage for recovery of a stolen cutter and was killed in the ensuing confrontation.