Close up of Leif in front of Hallgrímskirkja, in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Leif Ericson (Old Norse: Leifr Eiríksson)^[1] (c. 970 – c. 1020) was a Norse^[2] explorer known to be the first European to have landed in North America^[3] (in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada). Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,728 × 2,304 pixels, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,728 × 2,304 pixels, file size: 1. ... Hallgrímskirkja The Hallgrímskirkja (literally, the church of Hallgrímur) is a church in Reykjavík, Iceland. ... Location in Iceland Coordinates: , Constituency Government  - Mayor (Borgarstjóri) Dagur B. Eggertsson Area  - City 274. ... Leif Ericson or Leif Erikson may refer to Leif Ericson, an Icelandic explorer (c. ... Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ... Events Major volcano eruption in Mashu Japan Devastating decade long famine begins in France Byzantine Emperor John I successfully defends the Eastern Roman Empire from massive barbarian invasion Construction completed on Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo, worlds oldest Islamic university Births Leif Ericson, Norse explorer Seyyed Razi, important Muslim... Events Hospice built in Jerusalem by Knights Hospitaller City of Saint-Germain-en-Laye founded Third Italian campaign of Henry II of Germany Canute the Great codifies the laws of England Births Harold II of England (approximate) Empress Agnes of Poitou, regent of the Holy Roman Empire (d. ... Norse is an adjective relating things to Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Sweden. ... See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... This article is about the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ...

Biography

Early life in Greenland

Statue of Leif in front of Hallgrímskirkja, in Reykjavík, Iceland. The statue was a gift from the United States government

It is believed that Leif was born about AD 970 in Iceland,^[4],the son of Erik the Red (Old Norse: Eiríkr inn rauði), a Norwegian explorer and outlaw and himself the son of a Norwegian outlaw, Þorvaldr Ásvaldsson. Leif's mother was Thjodhild (Þjóðhildr).^[5] Erik the Red had founded two Norse colonies in Greenland, the Western Settlement and the Eastern Settlement, as he had named them. Download high resolution version (1984x2979, 610 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1984x2979, 610 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Hallgrímskirkja The Hallgrímskirkja (literally, the church of Hallgrímur) is a church in Reykjavík, Iceland. ... Location in Iceland Coordinates: , Constituency Government  - Mayor (Borgarstjóri) Dagur B. Eggertsson Area  - City 274. ... For other uses, see Erik the Red (disambiguation). ... Old Norse is the Germanic language spoken by the inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300. ... For other senses of this word, see outlaw (disambiguation). ... Þorvaldr Ásvaldsson was the father of the discoverer of Greenland, Eiríkr Rauði (Erik the Red) and grandfather of Leifr Eiríksson, who visited North America centuries before Christopher Columbus. ... Map of the Western settlement of the Norse in medieval Greenland. ... Map of the Eastern settlement of the Norse in medieval Greenland. ...

Leif Ericson had two younger brothers, Thorvaldr and Thorsteinn, and one sister, Freydís. Leif married a woman named Thorgunna, and they had one son, Thorkell Leifsson. Thorvald Eriksson (old Icelandic: Þorvaldr Eiríksson) was the son of Erik the Red and brother of Leif Eriksson. ... Thorstein Eríksson was the youngest son of Erik the Red. ... Freydís Eiríksdóttir was a Viking woman who sailed to Vínland in the early 11th century. ... Son of legendary Norse explorer, Leif Ericson, Thorkell Leifsson was the heir to the throne of Greenland. ...

Exploring west of Greenland

During a stay in Norway, Leif Ericson converted to Christianity, like many Norse of that time. He also went to Norway to serve the King of Norway, Olaf I of Norway. When he returned to Greenland, he bought the boat from Bjarni Herjólfsson and set out to explore the land that Bjarni had found (located west of Greenland), which was, in fact, Newfoundland, now in Canada. This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The... Olaf Tryggvason (Old Norse: Óláfr Tryggvason, Norwegian: Olav Tryggvason), (960s-September 9? 1000), was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. ... Bjarni Herjólfsson (fl. ... A compass rose with west highlighted This article refers to the cardinal direction; for other uses see West (disambiguation). ...

The Saga of the Greenlanders tells that Leif set out in the year 1003 to follow Bjarni's route with 15 crew members, but going north.^[6] Grœnlendinga saga or the Saga of the Greenlanders is an Icelandic saga. ... Events Sweyn I of Denmark begins his first invasion of England. ...

Helluland and Markland

The first land he went to was covered with flat and shiny rocks (Old Norse: hellur, German: "hell"). He therefore called it Helluland ("Land of the Flat Stones"). It was probably the present day Baffin Island. Next he came to a land that was flat and wooded, with white sandy beaches. He called it Markland ("Wood-land"), and it is usually assumed to have been Labrador. Helluland is the name given to one of the three lands discovered by Leif Eriksson sometime around 1000 CE on the North Atlantic coast of North America. ... Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. ... Markland is the name given to an area of unknown location, named by Leif Ericson when visiting North America. ... Labrador (also Coast of Labrador) is a region of Atlantic Canada. ...

Settlement in Vinland

Statue near the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul

When Leif and his crew left Markland and found land again, they landed and built some houses. They found the area pleasant: there were plenty of large salmon in the river and the climate was mild, with little frost in the winter and green grass year-round. They remained at this place over the winter. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1852, 487 KB) en:Viking statue (Leif Erikson?) near the en:Minnesota State Capitol. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1852, 487 KB) en:Viking statue (Leif Erikson?) near the en:Minnesota State Capitol. ... Minnesota State Capitol at Night The Minnesota State Capitol is located in Minnesotas capital city, Saint Paul, and houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Governor. ... State capitol building in Saint Paul Saint Paul is the capital and second-largest city of the state of Minnesota in the United States of America. ... For other uses, see Salmon (disambiguation). ...

The sagas mention that one of Leif's men, Tyrkir, possibly a Hungarian (because at that time the Hungarians were named as Turks^[7]), or a German, found wild grapes^[8]. This article is about the fruits of the genus Vitis. ...

On the return voyage, Leif rescued an Icelandic castaway named Þórir and his crew — an incident that earned Leif the nickname Leif the Lucky (Old Norse: Leifr hinn heppni). EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ...

The L'Anse aux Meadows discovery

Research done in the 1950s and 1960s by explorer Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine, strongly suggests that the settlement of Leif Ericson and his party in Vínland was located at the northern tip of Newfoundland, later known as L'Anse aux Meadows. The 1950s decade refers to the years 1950 to 1959 inclusive. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... Ingstad in his trapper days in the late 1920s (photo from his book The Land of Feast and Famine, 1933). ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Dr. Anne Stine Ingstad (1918 – 1997) was a Norwegian archaeologist who, along with her husband Dr. Helge Ingstad, discovered the remains of a Viking settlement at LAnse aux Meadows in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1960. ... LAnse aux Meadows (from the French LAnse-aux-Méduses or Jellyfish Cove) is a site on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where the remains of a Viking village were discovered in 1960 by the Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and...

United States commemoration

In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the President to proclaim October 9 of each year as "Leif Erikson Day". That date was chosen for its connection to the first organized immigration from Norway to the United States, not for any event in the life of the explorer. The day is also an official observance of several U.S. states. Type Bicameral Houses Senate House of Representatives President of the Senate President pro tempore Dick Cheney, (R) since January 20, 2001 Robert C. Byrd, (D) since January 4, 2007 Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Members 535 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... A statue of Leif Erikson near the Minnesota State Capitol in St. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of...

Speculation

1968 United States postage stamp

• A few have speculated that Norsemen may have penetrated as far as Minnesota, either coming down from Hudson Bay or going west through the Great Lakes. Some suggested that the Mandan showed evidence of pre-Columbian explorers from Europe. A rather dubious runestone with carvings of a Scandinavian nature was discovered near Kensington Minnesota, aptly titled the Kensington Runestone. ^[9]
• In the 19th century, the theory that Ericson and his men visited New England gained in popularity. The statue of Ericsson on Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, Massachusetts and the Norumbega Tower in Weston, Massachusetts were both created as monuments to this supposed Viking presence.^[10]
• There is only one piece of hard evidence that suggests Vikings may have visited the area now called the United States: an 11th century Norse coin, the Maine Penny, found in Brooklin, Maine along with thousands of other artifacts during an excavation of a former Native American trading center. However, it is noted that this coin may have made it from Newfoundland via trade or may have even been brought to North America centuries later by the English or Portuguese.^[11]
• Although there have been numerous attempts over the decades to show Viking presence in United States, such as fanciful translations of mysterious stone carvings, or supposed European traits in some Native-American tribes, there has been no evidence accepted by the professional archaeological community.^[12]

Image File history File links LeifErikson1968stamp. ... Image File history File links LeifErikson1968stamp. ... Norseman redirects here; for the town of the same name see Norseman, Western Australia. ... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... New York Harbor, the outflow for Hudson River, is sometimes called Hudsons Bay. Hudson Bay, Canada. ... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... This article is about the Native American tribe. ... The Kensington runestone is a roughly rectangular slab of greywacke covered in runes on its face and side. ... Commonwealth Avenue (often abbreviated Comm Ave by locals) is a road in the city of Boston, Massachusetts beginning at the western edge of the Public Garden, and continuing west through the Back Bay, Kenmore Square, and the suburbs of Brighton and Chestnut Hill. ... Boston redirects here. ... Advertisement for Norumbega Park and Totem Pole Ballroom Norumbega Park was a recreation area and amusement park located in Auburndale-on-the-Charles near Boston, Massachusetts. ...   Settled: 1642 â€“ Incorporated: 1713 Zip Code(s): 02493 â€“ Area Code(s): 781 Official website: http://www. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... The Maine penny is a Norwegian silver penny that dates to the reign of Olaf Kyrre. ... Brooklin is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. ... Native Americans redirects here. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

See also

Map

• Christopher Columbus
• Explorers
• Bjarni Herjólfsson
• St. Brendan
• Vinland
• John Cabot
• Matthew (ship)
• Erik the Red
• L'Anse aux Meadows
• Kensington Runestone
• Maine Penny
• Helge Ingstad

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (947x648, 254 KB)made by me; earth pic by NASA, data from Image:Viking Age. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (947x648, 254 KB)made by me; earth pic by NASA, data from Image:Viking Age. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator and colonialist who is one of the first Europeans to discover the Americas, after the Vikings. ... See also explorations, sea explorers, astronaut, conquistador, travelogue, the History of Science and Technology and Biography. ... Bjarni Herjólfsson (fl. ... This article is about Saint Brendan of Clonfert. ... For the historical novel by George Mackay Brown, which depicts Leif Eiríkssons voyage, see Vinland (novel). ... John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto; fl. ... Ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 from Bristol to North America, presumably Newfoundland. ... For other uses, see Erik the Red (disambiguation). ... LAnse aux Meadows (from the French LAnse-aux-Méduses or Jellyfish Cove) is a site on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, where the remains of a Viking village were discovered in 1960 by the Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and... The Kensington runestone is a roughly rectangular slab of greywacke covered in runes on its face and side. ... The Maine penny is a Norwegian silver penny that dates to the reign of Olaf Kyrre. ... Ingstad in his trapper days in the late 1920s (photo from his book The Land of Feast and Famine, 1933). ...

Notes

Icelandic ( ) is a North Germanic language, the official language of Iceland and the mother tongue of the Icelandic people. ... Norwegian (norsk) is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is an official language. ... A patronymic is a personal name based on the name of ones father. ... The Saga of Eric the Red (Icelandic: Eiríks saga rauða) is a saga about Eric the Red. ... A page from a skin manuscript of Landnáma in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Reykjavík, Iceland Landnámabók (meaning The Book of Settlement, often shortened to Landnáma) is an old Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the settlement (landnám) of Iceland by the Norse... The Saga of Eric the Red is a saga about Eric the Red. ... Europe in 1000 The year 1000 of the Gregorian Calendar was the last year of the 10th century as well as the last year of the first millennium. ... Events Grand Prince Stephen I of Hungary is named the first King of Hungary by Pope Silvester II. Canonisation of Edward the Martyr, king of England. ... For the historical novel by George Mackay Brown, which depicts Leif Eiríkssons voyage, see Vinland (novel). ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Leifr Eiríksson

• Account of the discovery of North America from the “Saga of Eric the Red”.
• A reconstructed portrait of Leif Ericsson – Based on historical sources, in a contemporary style; from Reportret: gallery of reconstructed portraits
• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Leif Ericson Homepage – From the Great Norwegians webpages, hosted by Metropolitan News Company's website MNC Online.
• [3] A writing about the vikings in "vinland".

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...