When was Samuel de Champlain born? He was born on August 13, 1574, the son of ship's captain from a sea faring family

What was his country of origin and where was Samuel de Champlain born? He was born at Brouage, Saintonge in France

Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces and modern day New England, stretching as far south as Philadelphia.

As a young boy Samuel de Champlain went with his father and his uncle on various voyages studied cartography, navigation, astronomy and mathematics

In 1587 Samuel de Champlain joined the French military and accompanied his uncle who was Pilot-General for the Spanish fleet transporting Spanish soldiers from France to their Catholic allies in Spain.

Through his connections with Spanish he joined the Spanish fleet, sailing on the 'St. Julien', in the New World in January 1599 to search for English privateers in the Caribbean

Over the next 3 years from 1599 - 1602 his travels took him to Vera Cruz, Mexico, Columbia and Panama

After his success with the Spanish he returned to France and settled in Dieppe, an important French port which was the home to famous map makers and other explorers such as Giovanni da Verrazzano, Jean Ribault and Jacques Cartier

In 1602 Samuel de Champlain was given the opportunity to join an exploration led by a merchant named Pontgrave, and colonise lands in Quebec ('New France') by Aymar de Chaste who had obtained a monopoly of the fur trade and to set up a trading post at the port of Tadoussac in Quebec.

March 15, 1603: He set sail from Honfleur, France in an expedition consisting of 2 ships for Quebec following the route indicated in Jacques Cartier's map

The expedition arrived at Port Royal (Annapolis) in Arcadia where they set up a new colony and erected a fortified fort. Samuel de Champlain was then free to make further explorations in Quebec and search for a passage to the Indies.

The French had made allies with the Algonquin Native Indians and in particular the Huron to help them fight against the Iroquois

Samuel de Champlain and his expedition, including his Native Indian Allies, consisted of 24 canoes, 60 warriors and only three white men

Samuel de Champlain discovered a great fresh water lake and named it Lake Champlain (on the border between present day northern New York and Vermont)

The explorers fought with the Iroquois and the expedition returned to the colony of Quebec

In 1603 he left the Quebec colony and returned to France with Pontgrave.

In 1604 he returned to Acadia in the New World after joining an expedition as an historian and cartographer. The voyage was led by the navigator and fur trader Pierre Du Gua de Monts (1558-1628), who became his greatest supporter

July, 1608: Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec City and built his mansion there

In 1610 he returned to France where he married Helene Boulle whose father was Nicolas Boulle, the Lord Chamberlain of France. He was 40 and she was just 12 years old - despite her young age the marriage was legal

In 1611 Samuel de Champlain left his child bride in Paris and returned to Quebec to continue his exploration of the St. Lawrence river

1612 - 1613 he briefly retuned to France and then went on another exploration to the region above Sault Saint Louis

In 1615 Samuel de Champlain made his last voyage to Lake Huron, in Ontario

In 1628 war broke out between England and France and Samuel de Champlain surrendered Quebec to the English and returned to France

A peace treaty was signed, and he returned to Quebec as Governor.

December 25, 1635: Samuel de Champlain died in Quebec aged 61, following a severe stroke.