27th October
Birth of James Cook
Birth of James Cook
Historical biography timeline
James Cook biography timeline
Explore a static chronology of 28 World History Database records for James Cook. The page is generated from the same biography records used by the searchable database, making important life events directly crawlable and readable.
28 records
1728–1779 record span
24 event labels
1 country
Life and historical importance
James Cook: life, career and historical significance
British naval officer, navigator and cartographer whose Pacific voyages greatly expanded European geographical knowledge. His expeditions mapped New Zealand and eastern Australia and combined navigation with scientific observation, while also advancing imperial expansion into Indigenous lands.
Editorial overview by World History Database. The chronology below is generated from the site's structured biography records.
Chronology
James Cook: dated events and historical records
Records are ordered by year, month and day where dates are available. The wording below comes from the World History Database biography collection.
1728
1768
1768
Captain
Appointed Commander of the HMS Endeavour in the south Pacific
1769
3rd June
Transit of Venus Expedition
Cook's expedition observes the transit of Venus from Tahiti as part of an international effort to determine the astronomical unit.
1769
Discovery of Australia
Makes a detailed survey of the east coast of Australia
1769
Discovery of Botany Bay
Names Botany Bay
1769
Discovery of New South Wales
Names New South Wales
1769
Discovery of New Zealand
Sails around New Zealand
1772
13th July
Southern Voyage
Leaves Plymouth on HMS Resolution with HMS Adventure to search the far southern oceans during his second voyage
1772
Discovery of Easter Island
Discovers Easter Island
1772
Discovery of Marquesas
Discovers Marquesas
1772
Discovery of New Caledonia
Discovers New Caledonia
1772
Discovery of Norfolk Island
Discovers Norfolk Island
1772
Discovery of Pacific Ocean
Sails with the Resolution & Adventure for a southern continent
1772
Discovery of Tonga Islands
Discovers the Tonga Islands
1773
12th January
1st Antarctic Circle Crossing
1st person to cross the Antarctic circle
17th January
Discovery of Antarctica
First recorded crossing of the Antarctic Circle during Cook's second voyage
1773
Discovery of Tonga Islands
Cook 1st visits Tonga
1773
Southern Ocean Expedition
Continues probing the southern ice after crossing the Antarctic Circle, disproving many hopes for an easily habitable southern continent
1774
30th January
Farthest South
Reaches about 71 degrees 10 minutes south, farther south than any recorded navigator before him, but finds only ice and no temperate southern continent
1775
1775
Discovery of South Georgia
Sights South Georgia and sails around it, mistakenly thinking it may be connected to Antarctica; names Cape Disappointment at the southern end of the island
1776
11th July
Death of James Cook
Returns to Hawaii from the North West Passage & killed in a scuffle with the Islanders
1776
Discovery of Bering Straits
Maps the Bering Straits & attempts to look for the North West Passage
1776
Discovery of Cook Islands
Visits the Cook Islands & Hawaii
1776
Discovery of Hawaii
Visits the Cook Islands & Hawaii
1776
North West Passage
Maps the Bering Straits & attempts to look for the North West Passage
1777
1777
Discovery of Tonga Islands
Visits Tonga for a 2nd time. Impressed by the amiability of the people, names the islands the Friendly Islands
1778
17th January
Discovery of Hawaii
Discovers Hawaii, names them the Sandwich Islands after Lord Sandwich
1779
14th February
Death of James Cook
Stabbed to death by the natives of Kealakekua Bay in the Hawaiian Islands
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Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database
Biography timelines are compiled from the World History Database and checked against established historical and biographical reference sources.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
Reference points include Encyclopaedia Britannica biographies, The National Archives, Library of Congress, and U.S. National Archives. Individual database records may draw on additional specialist sources appropriate to the person, period or event.
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