Captain James Cook (1728-1779), British explorer. After joining the Royal Navy, Cook undertook his first major voyage from 1768-71, accurately mapping New Zealand's coastline and making the first European landing in east Australia. During 1772-75 he crossed the Antarctic Circle for the first time. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1775. On his third voyage from 1776-79 he was killed in a dispute with a group of Hawaiian islanders.