James Cook

On February 14, 1779, James Cook, British explorer, navigator and cartographer, discovered and explored Australia, Pacific Islands and New Zealand for Britain, was killed in a fight with Hawaiians near Kealakekua at the age of 50. From the article:

"James Cook
Naval Officer, Navigator and Explorer
Cook eventually joined the British Navy and, at age 29, was promoted to ship's master. During the Seven Years War (1756-63), he commanded a captured ship for the Royal Navy. In 1768, he took command of the first scientific expedition to the Pacific. In 1770, on his ship the HMB Endeavour, Cook discovered and charted New Zealand and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia—since credited as one of the world's most dangerous areas to navigate.

After his return to England, Cook was chosen to circumnavigate and explore Antarctica. On this voyage, he charted present-day Tonga, Easter Island, New Caledonia, the South Sandwich Islands and South Georgia, and disproved the existence of Terra Australis, a fabled southern continent. (Cook named the Hawaiian Islands the Sandwich Islands after the Earl of Sandwich, also known as John Montagu.)

Later Years and Legacy
During all his voyages, James Cook successfully fought scurvy (a deadly disease caused by vitamin deficiency) by feeding his crew a diet that included watercress, sauerkraut and orange extract. He died in a skirmish with islanders during a winter layover in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, on February 14, 1779.

Today, Cook's voyages are credited with helping to guide generations of explorers, as well as with providing the first accurate map of the Pacific, and many believe that he did more to fill the map of the world than any other explorer in history."