John Cabot
/ˌdʒɒn ˈkæbət/
/ˌdʒɑːn ˈkæbət/
- born (c. 1450-c. 1498) an Italian explorer who was born Giovanni Caboto. With his son Sebastian he sailed across the Atlantic in 1498 for the English king, Henry VII, and reached North America (which he thought was China) before Columbus.