Captain James Cook was born on 7 November 1728 in Marton, England, and he was killed by Hawaiin natives on 14th February 1779 (aged 50-51 years). A British navigator and cartographer who mapped much of South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, James Cook set off on his first voyage on 26th August 1768 to observe Planet Venus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun to help astronomers calculate the distance of the Sun from the Earth. The Australian Museum acquired Cook Collection in 1894 from the Government of New South Wales.
Do you know: The sailors on James’s ship, Endeavour, got tattoos done from Maori warriors on their arms and started a tradition that continues today.
