In 1524, an Italian navigator named Giovanni da Verrazzano set sail from France on a daring mission. The French king wanted to find a western sea route to Asia. Instead, Verrazzano found something no European had ever mapped: the east coast of North America. Verrazzano crossed the Atlantic Ocean in his ship, La Dauphine. After weeks at sea, he reached the coast near present-day North Carolina. From there, he sailed northward, carefully recording everything he saw. He noted the wide beaches, thick forests, and rivers flowing into the ocean. On April 17, 1524, Verrazzano entered a large natural harbor. He described it as a beautiful lake surrounded by hills. Today, that harbor is the entrance to New York City. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world, is named after him. Verrazzano continued sailing north along the coast. He passed what is now Rhode Island. He spent two weeks with the Narragansett people. He described them as generous and curious about his ship. He sailed as far north as Newfoundland before returning to France. His voyage gave Europeans their first detailed description of the Atlantic coastline from the Carolinas to Canada.