EXPLORER

Willem Janszoon

1570 - 1631

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Willem Janszoon (Dutch: [ˈʋɪləm ˈjɑnsoːn]; c. 1570 – c. 1630) was a Dutch navigator and colonial governor. He served in the Dutch East Indies in the periods 1603–1611 and 1612–1616, including as governor of Fort Henricus on the island of Solor. During his voyage of 1605–1606, Janszoon and his crew became the first Europeans known to have seen and landed on the coast of Australia. His name is sometimes abbreviated to Willem Jansz, as was customary at his time, but "always pronounced in full and generally still is in the Netherlands where this bit of common knowledge is taught at school." However, the abbreviation Jansz is not the same as the now more predominant unabbreviated but identical Jansz that is a petrified form of Janszoon. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Willem Janszoon is the 88th most popular explorer (down from 80th in 2019), the 140th most popular biography from Netherlands (down from 127th in 2019) and the 6th most popular Dutch Explorer.

Willem Janszoon is most famous for being the first European to land in Australia.

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Among EXPLORERS

Among explorers, Willem Janszoon ranks 88 out of 498. Before him are Stepan Makarov, Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, Vicente Yáñez Pinzón, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Diego Columbus, and Jeanne Baret. After him are Tristão da Cunha, Jean de Béthencourt, Sebastian Cabot, Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, William Parry, and Benjamin of Tudela.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1570, Willem Janszoon ranks 5. Before him are Guy Fawkes, Hans Lippershey, Henry Hudson, and Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar. After him are Jan Janszoon, John Smyth, Hendrick van Balen the Elder, Giorgi Saakadze, Péter Pázmány, Kara Davud Pasha, and Alessandro Salvio. Among people deceased in 1631, Willem Janszoon ranks 5. Before him are Mumtaz Mahal, John Donne, John Smith, and Constance of Austria. After him are Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Archduchess Maria Maddalena of Austria, Charles II Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers, Federico Borromeo, Michael Maestlin, Francesco Maria II della Rovere, and Guillén de Castro y Bellvis.

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In Netherlands

Among people born in Netherlands, Willem Janszoon ranks 140 out of 1,646. Before him are Ruud Krol (1949), Edwin van der Sar (1970), Louise of the Netherlands (1828), Adriaen van Ostade (1610), Etty Hillesum (1914), and Gabriël Metsu (1629). After him are Tom Gehrels (1925), Countess Louise Juliana of Nassau (1576), Wim Kok (1938), Ferdinand Bol (1616), Karel Appel (1921), and Robert van Gulik (1910).

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Among EXPLORERS In Netherlands

Among explorers born in Netherlands, Willem Janszoon ranks 6. Before him are Abel Tasman (1603), Willem Barentsz (1550), Jan van Riebeeck (1619), Jacob Roggeveen (1659), and Willem Schouten (1567). After him are Frederick de Houtman (1571), Alexandrine Tinné (1835), Cornelis de Houtman (1565), Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn (1556), Jacob van Heemskerck (1567), and Anthony van Diemen (1593).

Dutch born Explorers

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