The Vikings were the first Europeans to reach North America, nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus.

Their westward expansion began with the settlement of Iceland and then Greenland, led by Erik the Red.

The voyages to North America were led by Erik's son, Leif Erikson, around 1000 CE.

The primary historical sources for these voyages are two Icelandic sagas: the 'Saga of the Greenlanders' and 'Erik the Red's Saga.'

The sagas describe the discovery of three lands: Helluland ('Land of Flat Stones'), Markland ('Forest Land'), and Vinland ('Wine Land').

These lands are believed to correspond to modern-day Baffin Island, Labrador, and Newfoundland, respectively.

Archaeological evidence has confirmed the sagas' accounts.

In the 1960s, a Norse settlement was discovered at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada.

The settlement contained Norse-style longhouses and artifacts, providing definitive proof of a Viking presence.

The Norse settlement in Vinland was short-lived and ultimately abandoned due to conflicts with the indigenous people (whom the Norse called 'Skrælings') and the great distance from Greenland.