Born March 16, 1774,
Lincolnshire, England
Died July 19, 1814,
England

Matthew Flinders was inspired to go to sea as a young boy when he read Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe’s classic novel about the adventures of a shipwrecked sailor. His real-life career as a navigator and chart-maker turned out to be just as dramatic as any novel: he was shipwrecked, taken prisoner, and survived a 700-mile voyage in a small boat across an open sea. Flinders served under some of the great heroes of English sea lore before charting the south coast of Australia, sailing around the continent of Australia, and proving that Tasmania was an island.

Joins navy at age 15

Flinders was born on March 16, 1774, in Lincolnshire, England. After entering the navy at the age of 15 he served as midshipman on a ship commanded by Captain William Bligh that sailed to Tahiti; he also fought with Admiral...