John Fearn

John Fearn (* 1768, † December 3, 1837 in Chelsea, London ) was a British ship Royal Navy officer, navigator and traveling salesman. He achieved fame as the discoverer of the Pacific island of Nauru, which is a sovereign republic today.

Fearn was the first European landed on 8 November 1798 Nauru, as he was with his whaling ship Hunter on the journey from New Zealand to China. He called them because of that attractive nature and the great kindness of the islanders Pleasant Iceland ( " friendly island ").

After his retirement, he published several writings on philosophical topics.