Storms take Portuguese traders to Japan - opening up the island to the west for the first time

Author Julian Sancton, who wrote the book Madhouse at the End of the Earth talks with us about the expedition

The Belgica tried to break out of the Antarctic ice pack

The Belgica and her crew prepare to endure 70 days of darkness.

Belgica plunges deeper and deeper to the waters of Antarctica as the long night of winter approaches.

The Belgica reaches Antarctica

Adrien de Gerlache leads the Belgian Antarctica Expedition in 1897

Ibn Battuta goes on a final journey across the Saharan Desert to West Africa and the Kingdom of Mali

Ibn Battuta goes to the Far East

Ibn Battuta goes to India

Ibn Battuta heads to India via Central Asia

Ibn Battuta sets off for the fringe of the Islamic world - the colonies of East Africa

Ibn Battuta travels to Iraq and Persia.

Ibn Battuta sets out on his first great adventure - his Hajj to Mecca

Stuart makes one last stab at crossing Australia

Stuart sets out on his fifth expedition to cross Australia

Stuart leads three expeditions into the Australian interior

Explorer John McDouall Stuart conducts the first of six expeditions into the interior of Australia

Vázquez de Coronado and his army set out for the supposedly wealthy region of Quivira

Conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado goes searching of the legendary cities of gold

Interview with Matt Rutherford

Matt Rutherford rounds Cape Horn and heads back to Annapolis

Matt Rutherford attempts to go around the Americas in a sailboat

Jolliet and Marquette travel down the Mississippi to the Arkansas - and then return

in 1673, Joliett and Marquette go searching for the legendary 'Big River' that lies in the west