What are some fun facts about Vitus Bering?
Vitus Bering served in the Imperial Russian Navy for 37 years from 1704 to 1741. Vitus had joined at the age of 23. He was born in the year 1681 in Horsens, Denmark. Bering died aged 60 on December 19, 1741, on Bering Island while returning from his second expedition.
Who was Vitus Bering and what did he discover?
The Danish explorer Vitus Bering served in the Russian Navy. In 1724 the Russian ruler, Peter the Great sent him to find out whether Asia was joined to America. Bering crossed Siberia to the Pacific. There he built a boat and explored the water between the two continents.
What was Vitus Bering known for?
Vitus Bering, in full Vitus Jonassen Bering, (born 1681, Horsens, Denmark—died December 19, 1741, Bering Island, near the Kamchatka Peninsula), navigator whose exploration of the Bering Strait and Alaska prepared the way for a Russian foothold on the North American continent.
What nationality was Vitus Bering?
DanishVitus Bering / Nationality
What ship did Vitus Bering use?
ship Gabriel
The ship Gabriel was built there, and on July 14, 1728, Bering began his first exploration. The Gabriel sailed northward, rounding East Cape on August 14.
How old was Vitus Bering when he died?
60 years (1681–1741)Vitus Bering / Age at death
Is Vitus Bering Russian?
Vitus Jonassen Bering (also, less correctly, Behring) ( August 1681– December 19, 1741) was a Danish-born navigator in the service of the Russian Navy, a captain-komandor known among the Russian sailors as Ivan Ivanovich.
Why did Vitus Bering go to the Americas?
On 29 December 1724 [N.S. 9 January 1725], Peter I of Russia ordered Bering to command a voyage east, probably to map the lands (and possibly seas) between Russia’s eastern boundary and the North America continent.
Where is Vitus Bering buried?
Bering Island, RussiaVitus Bering / Place of burial