Discover the Unexpected: Top 13 Fun Facts About John Cabot You Never Knew!

1. First European in North America

Before John Cabot ever yelled "YABBA-DABBA-DOO!" across the Atlantic: In 1497, his voyage marked the first recorded European encounter with North America since Viking explorations in the 11th century, proving a shorter northern Atlantic route and paving the way for British claims in Canada.
Source => history.com

2. Original Destination Fail

Before GPS led you on a wild goose chase and Google Maps made you take the long way home, there was a guy named John Cabot writing the original destination fail story: John Cabot became the first known European to encounter the North American continent since the Vikings landed in the 11th century, when he stumbled upon the New World in 1497.
Source => history.com

Did you know Henry Hudson could have been the Original Pigeon Whisperer? 🕊️ Uncover the fascinating connection between this legendary explorer and the homing pigeon's role in communication during his era.

=> Fun Facts about Henry-Hudson

3. Cod-filled Candy Store

You know that feeling when you can't find a single fish at the grocery store, but then you discover an entire aisle of candy? Well, John Cabot was like a kid in a cod-filled candy store on his second voyage in 1497: It turns out he stumbled upon the veritable jackpot of cod fisheries in North America. This piscine bonanza would later lay the groundwork for Newfoundland's thriving fishing industry – talk about a reel big discovery!
Source => thecanadianencyclopedia.ca

4. Cabot: The OG Columbus

Who needs Columbus when you've got Cabot? This maritime maestro was traversing North American frontiers before it was cool: John Cabot, or Giovanni Chabotte if you're feeling Italian, set foot in Newfoundland in 1497 after two epic voyages across the Atlantic, making him the first European to visit since that Viking hipster Leif Ericsson in the 11th century. Plot twist: A recently uncovered loan form suggesting an even earlier discovery is making history buffs rethink their timelines, but for now, we raise our flag (and our eyebrows) to good ol' John.
Source => dailymail.co.uk

5. Geographical Party Crash

Call it a "divine misdirection" or a mix-up in the travel plans of the most adventurous sort, but when John Cabot went partying in 1497, he ended up crash-landing in the wrong neighborhood: Little did he know, he had stumbled upon North America, while he thought his dancing shoes led him to Asia's northeast coast! Nevertheless, this geographical faux pas led to the discovery of Canada's bountiful fishing grounds on the Grand Banks, revolutionizing the region's fishing industry.
Source => history.com

6. Lost Tourist in Newfoundland

John Cabot may have been the original "lost tourist," believing he had somehow landed in Asia when, in reality, he was chilling with the moose and maple trees in Newfoundland, Canada: Despite this navigational blunder in 1497, his British claim to the land resulted in one of the first European settlements in North America, ultimately contributing to England's rise to power in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Source => biography.com

7. Basket-Dunking Cod Discovery

Who needs a rod and reel when you've got a basket and a sea of fish: John Cabot, during his 1497 expedition, bumped into the teeming waters of the Grand Banks off Canada's coast, where cod were so abundant that his crew needed only to dunk baskets into the sea to haul in loads of these swimming delicacies, spawning an essential industry for the region.
Source => history.com

8. America: A Name-Drop Story

So you think America's got talent, eh? Well, meet Richard Ameryk, the unsung founding father of name-dropping: John Cabot's voyage to North America was privately funded by this optimistic Bristol merchant who, dazzled by the potential profit of New World trade, cheekily requested the land be named after him. Turns out, the name "America" might just be a variant of ol' Rich's surname with a little spelling twist!
Source => carolana.com

9. The Actual Cabot Wealth

John Cabot, the original Titanic star, may not have dramatically drowned in the icy Atlantic...but neither did he reel in a King's pension: In reality, there is no proof that King Henry VII denoted a lifetime pension to Cabot; yet, the explorer did receive a royal commission, shares in trade profits, and funding from Italian bankers, ensuring quite the comfortable lifestyle for him and his family.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Magical Fish Pickup Lines

Did fish magically jump into baskets during John Cabot's voyages or were their pickup lines just that good? Well, no one can say for sure: What we do know is that during Cabot's 15th-century expeditions to North America, he discovered the Grand Banks off the coast of Canada, where abundant cod apparently leaped into the crew's baskets, forever changing the fishing industry on the continent.
Source => history.com

11. Coin-Troversial Discovery

Who needs Cabot when you've got a coin to flip?: A Henry VI quarter noble coin, minted between 1422 and 1427, was found in Newfoundland, suggesting that Europeans might have landed in Canada 75 years before John Cabot's famed 1497 exploration, adding a coin-troversial twist to the history of North American voyages.
Source => news.artnet.com

12. Cabot's Mysterious Comeback

It seems ol' Johnny Cabot might have put the "cab" in "back in a jiffy" - perhaps without the "jiffy" part: Recent research suggests that John Cabot, after mysteriously disappearing in 1498, resurfaced in England around spring 1500, bidding adieu to this mortal realm only four months later.
Source => heritage.nf.ca

13. Underdog Explorer's Success

Navigating a sea of obscurity and living in a post-Columbus world, John Cabot was the underdog explorer who not only landed in North America, but gave speeches that scored him some major financial love from foreign officials – and yet, his name rarely makes a splash in history class waters: Despite being overshadowed by his famous contemporary, Cabot managed to reach North America on June 24, 1497, after a 35-day voyage, securing funding for another expedition by lecturing about his discovery to powerful patrons.
Source => southernfriedscience.com