Leif Erikson

The Viking who reached North America five hundred years before Columbus.

Life

Son of Erik

Leif, son of Erik the Red, grew up in Greenland. He spent time at the Norwegian court, where he accepted Christianity, and after returning to Greenland he spread the faith.

Vinland

According to the Icelandic sagas, in c. 1000 he sailed west with thirty-five men, reaching in turn places he called "Helluland" (Land of Flat Stones), "Markland" (Land of Forests) and "Vinland" (Land of Grapes). He wintered in Vinland and then returned.

L'Anse aux Meadows

In the 1960s archaeologists discovered the remains of a Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows on the island of Newfoundland in Canada, proving that the Vikings had indeed reached North America.

Legacy

Leif Erikson is the earliest known European to reach the North American mainland, and the United States has designated October 9 as "Leif Erikson Day."

Did you know? A 2021 study used tree rings to show that the Vikings at L'Anse aux Meadows were cutting trees in 1021.

Key dates

• 999Converted to Christianity in Norway
• 1000Sailed to Vinland (approx.)
• 1020Died (approx.)