Ericson, Leif (c. 970 - c. 1020)  Leif Ericson was born in Iceland.  A Viking navigator, Ericson was attempting to sail with his crew from Norway to Greenland about ten centuries ago.  As they reached land, however, they noted the dense forests so close to the shore and realized they could not possibly be in Greenland.  This accidental expedition made Leif Ericson and his crew the first Europeans to set foot on the American mainland.  The exact location of their disembarkment is still disputed, though many believe it was somewhere in what is now Newfoundland, Canada.