Person

James Cook

1728–1779 · 18th century · Also known as Captain Cook

James Cook was a British naval officer who led three voyages of exploration in the Pacific between 1768 and 1779. He charted New Zealand and eastern Australia, visited Tahiti and the Society Islands, named New Caledonia in 1774 and reached Hawaii in 1778. He was killed in a clash at Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii Island in February 1779.

James Cook
Image: Nathaniel Dance-Holland · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Tuʻi Tonga EmpireGovernance, Impact, Decline, SummaryKingdom of TahitiFoundation, MilitaryRapa NuiMilitary, Summary

Mentioned in 5 state histories

Chiefdom of KauaiChiefdom of Hawaii IslandKingdom of HuahineKingdom of RaiateaNew Caledonia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). James Cook. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-cook
MLA
“James Cook.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-cook. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “James Cook.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-cook.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘James Cook’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/james-cook (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻