James Cook was a British explorer who was one of the earliest Europeans to explore parts of Australia, the Hawaii Islands, and New Zealand. He mapped a great deal of unknown territory and began his life at sea at seventeen when he joined the Royal Navy. Cook’s cartography skills helped pave the way for many after his death. He died in an altercation with Hawaiian natives at the age of 50.
On this day December 24th, 1777, Kiritimati is discovered by James Cook. It earned itself the nickname Christmas Island after being discovered on Christmas Eve. Kiritimati has the biggest area of coral atoll. A coral atoll is a coral island which encompasses a lagoon.
This island has only about 5,000 people living on it, but it’s famous for its bird-watching and surfing. During the 1950’s, nuclear testing took place on the island. The inhabitants of the island were not evacuated, and many residents stated they have been impacted by the radiation. The testing took place during the cold war by the United States and the United Kingdom.