Captain James Cook



Captain James Cook was a British explorer, navigator and a captain in the Royal Navy. He sailed three voyages within his life time, gaining vital scientific and geographical knowledge about the world.

  • Born: 27th October 1728, Marton, England
  • Died: 14th February 1779, Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, USA
  • Family: James Cook was born in a small village called Marton in North Yorkshire. Cook’s father was a farmer but Cook had other ideas. He was interested in travelling the seas. At the age of 17, Cook moved to Whitby and worked on the ships as a coal merchant.

Captain James Cook

His voyages and what he discovered.

  • Cook joined the Royal Navy and as he progressed through the ranks, he proved himself an excellent sailor. He was then promoted to ‘commander’ of a ship called HMS Endeavour.
  • In 1769, the British Government sent Cook, his ship and his men on an expedition to the southern hemisphere. This was Cook’s first voyage and his job was to observe and document the planet Venus passing in front of the sun.
  • They sailed the Pacific Ocean and documented the event but he didn’t stop there. He continued to sail the Pacific Ocean and he saw what we now know as Australia. This was a significant event as Cook and his men were the first Europeans to see it. They continued to sail the Australian coast and named the new land the ‘New South Wales’ and claimed the land as British.
  • On Cook’s third voyage, he sailed the Pacific Ocean again to Hawaii. Whilst he was there, he had a dispute over a stolen ship with the Hawaiian leader. This led to Cook being attacked and killed.

What impact did he make?

  • He gave us an accurate map of the Pacific Ocean.
  • He drew new maps of places Europeans had never seen before, giving us vital geographical knowledge of the world.
  • He left behind a legacy and influenced new explorers.

Learning resources

Example questions:

  • When was Captain James Cook born?

  • What was Amy Johnson’s occupation when flying was introduced to her as a hobby?

  • What was the name of the ship that Captain Cook commanded?

  • How did Amy Johnson rise to fame around the world?

  • Which country did Cook and his men find whilst sailing in the Pacific Ocean?

  • What did Cook name this newly discovered land?

  • How many days did it take Amy Johnson to fly from the UK to Australia?

  • Give me some possible reasons as to why she did not break the world record.

  • How did Captain James Cook die and in which country?

  • What can you tell me about Amy Johnson’s death?

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