Timeline Description: Jacques Cartier was a French explorer. He discovered the place that would become Canada. This is a timeline of his journey.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1491 | Jacques Cartier was born Jacques was born in a territory named Brittany. He grew up and learned to be a mariner, or a seaman. |
| 1497 | John Cabot tried to find the Orient The King of France sent the explorer, John Cabot, to find a sailing route to the Orient. John Cabot failed. |
| 1520 | Jacques got married Jacques married a woman from a rich family. It earned him a more respectable place in society where he would later get to meet the king of France. |
| 1520 | Jacques sailed on many voyages(Late 1520's ) Jacques began his travels with trips to Newfoundland. This proved he was a good sailor. |
| April 1534 | Jacques met the king of France Jacques met King Francis I. The king hired Jacques to sail west and find a better travel route to Asia, since John Cabot hadn't done it before. |
| July 1534 | Jacques claimed the land for France After exploring along the coast line, Jacques built a cross in the ground. The cross said "Long live the king of France". |
| October 1534 | Jacques returned home Jacques returned to France with the promise of returning to the new land so he could bring more supplies. He thought he had reached Asia on his trip, but it was really the land that he would name Canada. |
| 1535 | Jacques made a second voyage Jacques returned to the land he had found. When he realized he hadn't found Asia, he was still sure he was on the right track and he named the village La Chine, which is French for China. |
| 1536 | Cartier returned to France again When Jacques returned to France he told the people about the new land he had found. He said it was full of gold and rubies. |
| 1541 | A new voyage began Several years later Jacques returned to Canada for the king of France, only this time the king didn't want Jacques to find a passage to Asia. He wanted Jacques to find the great riches Jacques had told him about. |
| 1542 | Jacques returned from his last journey Jacques came home with ships full of treasure. Jacques and his men thought they had found diamonds and gold, but it turned out to be quartz crystals and metals. |
| 1557 | Jacques Cartier died Jacques died in his home in France. He hadn't found the passageway to Asia or any great treasures, but he had discovered Canada. His adventures paved the way for further French discoveries in the Americas. |
| 1934 | A bridge named in his honor The Jacques Cartier Bridge was named in 1934 to celebrate 400 years since Cartier's first voyage. |
| 1981 | The Jacques-Cartier National Park The Park was used for centuries by travelers, lumberjacks, and more. In 1981 it officially became a national park. |
| 2006 | Cartier's colony was re-discovered Archaeologists in Canada recently discovered the remains of an old colony. They believe it was the first village that Cartier established. |