Leif Erikson

Leif Erikson was a Norse explorer from Iceland. He was born around 970 AD. He is believed to be the first European to reach North America. He arrived about 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

Early Life

Erikson was the son of Erik the Red, who founded a Viking settlement in Greenland. Leif grew up learning to sail. He heard stories of lands to the west. He decided to find these mysterious lands himself.

A statue of the Viking explorer Leif Erikson in Duluth.
A statue of the Viking explorer Leif Erikson in Duluth. (Sculptor Daniels, John K. 1875-1978 Photo: Sharon Mollerus / Wikimedia Commons)

Big Achievements

Around the year 1000, Erikson sailed west from Greenland. He landed in a place he called Vinland, which was likely in what is now Canada. He and his crew spent a winter there. Ruins of a Viking settlement have been found in Newfoundland, Canada.

Fun Facts

  • Erikson called the land Vinland because of the wild grapes growing there.
  • October 9 is Leif Erikson Day in the United States.
  • His father, Erik the Red, was banned from Iceland for fighting.

Did You Know?

Archaeologists found a Viking settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada. This proves that Vikings reached North America around the year 1000, long before Columbus sailed in 1492.