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Thorfinn Karlsefni

Type Figure Region Iceland Time c. 980–1007 Also known as Thorfinn Karlsefni、Þorfinnr Karlsefni Þórðarson、Thorfinn Karlsefni Thordarson

Thorfinn Karlsefni (c. 980–1007) was an Icelandic Norse explorer who, around 1009, led a fleet westward from Greenland to Vinland (around present-day…

Timeline

  1. c. 980–999Iceland · IcelandBorn into a prominent Icelandic family, he accumulated wealth and seafaring experience, later marrying Gudrid, who had taken part in voyages to Greenland and Vinland, laying the groundwork for subsequent ocean voyages.
  2. c. 1003–1004Vinland · Newfoundland and LabradorSailing west from Greenland with three ships and about 160 men, he followed routes previously explored by Leif Erikson and others to reach Vinland, establishing a camp and attempting farming and trade, but abandoned permanent settlement due to conflicts with indigenous peoples and supply difficulties.
  3. c. 1004–1007Iceland · IcelandAfter the failed Vinland venture he returned to Iceland, continuing to manage his estate and raise a family; his son's birth in Vinland became a famous detail in the sagas, and his voyages count as one of the earliest systematic records of Norse arrival in North America.

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