Who discovered America?

[hookleg]

 I had been led to believe that the first proven European to discover America was John Cabot in 1497 but have just been searching through info on members of Horne Family and came across this entry.

Henry Horne was born in 1404, at birth place, Kentucky.
Henry married Unknown Horne.
was born in 1405, in Waltham, Kent, England.
They had one daughter: Joan Haute (born Horne).
Henry passed away on month day 1497, at age 93 at death place, Kentucky.

Obviously it was a Man of Kent who discovered America. Unless you can find an earlier settler!!

[Gillg]

But wasn't it Viking Leif Erikson, son of Erik the Red, who first discovered and settled in North America?  Erik was the founder of the first Norse settlement in Greenland, having been banished from Iceland.  Leif's approximate date of birth is given as c970 or 980, though sometimes he is given as 11th century, anyway long before 1492 (Christopher Columbus).

[Ray T]

I think you'll find that whoever claims to have discovered America was beaten to it by the people who already lived there. The continent was settled well before anyone from Europe claimed to have discovered it.

[Gillg]

I know.  Annoying, isn't it?

[Maiden Stone]

My vote goes to the Irish Saint Brendan. He sailed across, had a look and returned to Ireland. Sensible man. 

[frostyknight]

You got in there before me Maiden Stone, I was going to mention St Brendan the navigator too. Not proven of course, but still!
I've always found the statement that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America v strange..as if the native Americans hadn't actually done so.

[Maiden Stone]

You got in there before me Maiden Stone, I was going to mention St Brendan the navigator too. Not proven of course, but still!
I've always found the statement that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America v strange..as if the native Americans hadn't actually done so.

The correct answer to the original question is "Nobody. It wasn't lost so didn't need finding and it wasn't called America."
Brendan got there before any of the others mentioned. He just didn't boast about it.    I have the music "The Brendan Voyage" suite.

[frostyknight]

Very good Maiden Stone. 

[Treetotal]

This captured my attention as my Father was from St. John's, Newfoundland and I remember going to see the Cabot Tower at Signal Hill in St. John's when I visited relatives some 18 years ago. I remember reading about his discovery:

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/cabot_john.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabot_Tower_(St._John%27s)

Gillg is correct.

Carol