418 years ago today, on April 26, 1607 (April 1, 1607 lunar calendar), the British established the colony of Virginia in North America. In 1584, Queen Elizabeth I of England asked her favorite, Sir Raleigh, to send an expedition to explore the eastern coast of North America in order to occupy the unknown lands of the Americas. Later, Raleigh named the land north of North Carolina Virginia, which means a virgin land suitable for immigrants to reclaim and settle. In 1607, three British ships sailed to North America, and colonists Smith and others landed at Cape Henry, Virginia, and settled down. On April 26, 1607, the British established the first colony in North America, Virginia. In the next 100 years, the British established a total of 13 colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America.