James Cook ( 1728 - 1779 )

Birth: Marton, Cleveland, England (27 October 1728) Death: Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii (14 February 1779) Research Field: Maritime discovery; mathematics; astronomy Career: After a short time in a haberdashers shop in Staithes, he was apprenticed to Whitby shipowners and spent several years serving as a merchant seaman, primarily in the North Sea.