~1485 - ~1528

Giovanni da Verrazzano was an Italian navigator, supposedly hired by King Francis I of France, who sailed to North America in 1524 seeking the Northwest Passage to China. Blocked by the American continents he explored the eastern coast of North America from Cape Fear in North Carolina to Newfoundland including New York Harbor and perhaps the lower Hudson River. He later made two more voyages to the New World and historians believe that during his last trip he was killed by Indians in the Caribbean region.

Verrazzano was born near Florence, Italy. His family name is sometimes spelled Giovanni da Verrazano.

The waterway from the Atlantic Ocean into New York Harbor is named Verrazano Narrows. On November 21, 1964, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island was opened.