Final answer:
John Cabot sailed across the North Atlantic Ocean to reach Canada, landing in Newfoundland in 1497 and claiming it for England. Pedro Cabral was the first to claim Brazil for Portugal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The explorer John Cabot took the North Atlantic Ocean route to reach Canada. Cabot, sailing under the English flag during Henry VII's reign, sought a northern route to Asia.
In 1497, he landed in what he called Newfoundland, marking it as an English claim. He ventured again in 1498, and although his voyages didn't immediately translate into wealth for England, they were the beginning of England's claim to North America.
It's also important to note that the first explorer to reach Brazil and claim it for the throne of Portugal was Pedro Cabral. These historical navigations were critical in the era of exploration and the subsequent claims and colonization that followed.