Around 985 Bjarni Herjolfsson, a Norse settler in Greenland, was blown off course and sighted a continent west of Greenland, but he did not go ashore. About 15 years later Leif Eriksson (son of Erik the Red) bought Bjarni's ship, gathered a crew of 35 and sailed westward. With favourable weather and winds, Leif and his crew were soon following the outlines of the new lands that they had heard of. They stopped only briefly at two lands (thought to be Baffin Island and Labrador), until they reached the third new land called "Vinland" because of the profusion of grapes that grew there. The location of Vinland is greatly debated by scholars. Some believe the archeological site at L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of Newfoundland to be the most likely site, but many scholars believe the vikings sailed farther south and that Vinland was located in New England.

Thorvald, Leif's brother, borrowed Leif's ship and sailed westward to Vinland two years later. He used Leif's sailing directions and ship to complete the journey. For two years he and his men sailed along the coasts, exploring the new land. Thorfinn Karlsefni and his wife, Gudrid, also sailed to Vinland and resided in Leif's house. Gudrid gave birth to a son during their stay and they named him SNORRI. He was the first European child to be born in the New World.

You can read an English translation of the The Discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson, c. 1000 from The Saga of Eric the Red, 1387. It includes the story of Snorri's birth.