1491-1557
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer who was born and died in Saint-Malo.
He was presented to François I in 1532, and was given a commission to explore North America and attempt to find a passage to Asia. He successfully completed three expeditions between 1534 and 1542, during which he claimed Canada for France and described and mapped the shores of the Saint Laurence River. Cartier was the source of France's presence in North America, which was embodied by the founding of Quebec City by Samuel de Champlain in 1608.