The first voyage of James Cook was a combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific Ocean aboard HMS Endeavour, from 1768 to 1771. The aims were to observe the 1769 transit of Venus from Tahiti and to seek evidence of the postulated Terra Australis Incognita or "undiscovered southern land". It was the first of three voyages of which Cook was the commander.
Key Facts
| Subject | First voyage of James Cook |
| Category | Combined Royal Navy and Royal Society expedition to the south Pacific |
| Reading time | 1 min · Advanced |
| Key date | 1768 |
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