Erik the Red Settles Greenland

What happened

Exiled from Iceland, Erik the Red explored the great island to the west and, luring settlers with the enticing name 'Greenland,' founded a Norse colony there around 985. It grew to several thousand people who farmed, kept livestock, and built churches at the very edge of the medieval world.

Why it matters

The Greenland settlement was the springboard for the Norse voyage to North America — and its mysterious disappearance around the 1400s remains one of history's enduring puzzles.

Sources

• World History Encyclopedia. The Disappearance of Norse Greenland · Reputable source