James Cook’s Endeavour ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef on 11 June 1770.
The ship struck a coral outcrop while sailing north along Australia’s east coast during Cook’s first voyage of exploration. The impact damaged the Endeavour’s hull and forced the crew to find a safe place for repairs. Cook later named the location Endeavour Reef.
The crew repaired the ship at what is now known as Cooktown, near the mouth of the Endeavour River. Cook’s journals describe the danger posed by the reef and the difficulty of navigating the shallow waters.
A common mix-up is confusing the grounding date with the date Cook first sighted the Australian coast or reached Botany Bay. The grounding occurred on 11 June, before the expedition continued north toward Torres Strait.