Captain James Cook held the impressive record of having sailed farther south than any other explorer before him. He also proved the Northwest Passage to be a trade route fantasy.

On board his legendary ship, Cook was adamant that it should be clean to fend off diseases like scurvy. At the time, few understood the importance of this in extreme conditions. Cook and his shipshape, healthy crew mapped the coastline of Australia, and also accurately placed much of the Pacific Ocean on the map. Hawaiians killed Cook in 1779 following a hostage scenario.