Erik the Red's father, Thorvald Asvaldsson, was a prominent Icelandic chieftain who was exiled from Iceland for murder. He and his family settled in the Faroe Islands, where Erik grew up. In the late 970s, Erik himself was exiled from Iceland for three years for manslaughter. During his exile, Erik explored the waters west of Iceland and is believed to have reached Greenland.
After his exile, Erik returned to Iceland and began organizing an expedition to Greenland. He set out in 982 with 25 ships and about 500 settlers, including his wife Thjodhild and their two young children, Leif and Thorstein. The expedition encountered difficult weather conditions, and only 14 ships reached Greenland.
Erik established the first permanent European settlement in Greenland at Brattahlíð in the Eastern Settlement. He also founded another settlement at Eystribyggð in the Western Settlement. Erik ruled the Greenland settlements as chieftain until his death around 1003.
Erik the Red's son, Leif Erikson, is believed to have been the first European to explore North America when he reached the coast of present-day Newfoundland around the year 1000. Erik's voyages and settlements in Greenland paved the way for further European exploration and settlement of the North Atlantic region.
