Leif Ericson

Definition

Leif Ericson was a Norse explorer from Iceland who is believed to be the first European to have set foot on continental North America, specifically in what is now Newfoundland in Canada, before Christopher Columbus.

Related terms

Vikings: Seafaring Scandinavian warriors and traders who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to early 11th century.

Norsemen: The group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language between the 9th and 13th centuries.

Newfoundland: An island off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.