Final answer:
The first European to visit North America around AD 1000 is believed to be Leif Ericson, a Norse explorer. Evidence of Norse presence in North America has been found at the L'Anse aux Meadows site in Newfoundland.
Step-by-step explanation:
Many historians believe that Norse explorers, particularly Leif Ericson, were the first Europeans to visit North America around AD 1000. Leif Ericson, the son of Eric the Red who settled Greenland, is believed to have established a colony called Vinland in what is now northern Newfoundland. The discovery of the L'Anse aux Meadows archaeological site in Newfoundland in 1978 provided evidence of Norse presence in North America before Christopher Columbus.