He started life as the son of a farm labourer. He ended up redrawing the map of the world.

James Cook was born on October 27, 1728, in Marton, Yorkshire. He learned his trade on coal ships in the North Sea, joined the Royal Navy and became a superb surveyor.

On three great Pacific voyages he charted the coasts of New Zealand, mapped the east coast of Australia in 1770 and sailed farther south than anyone before him. His precise charts were used for generations.

His voyages also opened the way for European colonization, with lasting consequences for Indigenous peoples across the Pacific — a legacy still debated today.

How should we remember explorers like Cook?

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