Captain George Vancouver (22 June 1757 – 10 May 1798) was a British officer of the Royal Navy, best known for his 1791–95 expedition which explored and mapped the northwest of North America, including the coasts of what are now Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. He also explored the Hawaiian Islands and the southwest coast of Australia. The cities of Vancouver, BC and Vancouver, WA, as well as Vancouver Island, are named after him.