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Spaniard Juan Ponce de León and his expedition first sight Florida

Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.

Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513. He was born in Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain, in 1474. Though little is known about his family, he was of noble birth and served in the Spanish military from a young age. He first came to the Americas as a "gentleman volunteer" with Christopher Columbus's second expedition in 1493.

By the early 1500s, Ponce de León was a top military official in the colonial government of Hispaniola, where he helped crush a rebellion of the native Taíno people.

Historical Significance

Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.

Key People

Juan Ponce de León

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Events Before

  1. Battle of Ravenna: French forces under Gaston de Foix defeat the Holy League in a major battle of the Italian Wars

    The Battle of Ravenna, fought on 11 April 1512, was a major battle of the War of the League of Cambrai.

  2. Black royal trumpeter John Blanke is gifted a new outfit for his wedding by English King Henry VIII at Greenwich [1]

    Black royal trumpeter John Blanke is gifted a new outfit for his wedding by English King Henry VIII at Greenwich [1]

  3. Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New Worl

    Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the conduct of settlers with regard to native Indians in the New World

  4. French troops under Gaston de Foix rescue Bologna, which was under siege from a combined Papal-Spanish army

    French troops under Gaston de Foix rescue Bologna, which was under siege from a combined Papal-Spanish army

  5. Battle at Valeggio: French troops beat Venetianen

    Battle at Valeggio: French troops beat Venetianen

Events After

  1. Francis, Duke of Valois, later Francis I, King of France, marries Claude, Duchess of Brittany

    Anne of Brittany (Breton: Anna; 25/26 January 1477 – 9 January 1514) was reigning Duchess of Brittany from 1488 until her death, and Queen of France from 1491 to 1498 and from 1499 to her death.

  2. French King Louis XII (52) marries by proxy Mary Tudor (18), sister of Henry VIII, at Greenwich Palace, England

    French King Louis XII (52) marries by proxy Mary Tudor (18), sister of Henry VIII, at Greenwich Palace, England

  3. King Louis XII of France marries Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VII (sister of Henry VIII)

    Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547.

  4. Complutensian New Testament in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek & Latin finished

    Complutensian New Testament in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek & Latin finished

  5. Jodocus Badius Ascensius publishes Christiern Pedersen's Latin version of Saxo's "Gesta Danorum" (Deeds of the Danes), i

    Jodocus Badius Ascensius publishes Christiern Pedersen's Latin version of Saxo's "Gesta Danorum" (Deeds of the Danes), in Paris

More from the 1510s

death

Louis XII dies

Louis XII dies

Hernán Cortés leaves Cuba for the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, with 11 ships and 500 men

Hernán Cortés leaves Cuba for the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, with 11 ships and 500 men

Venice compels Jews to live in a specific area, establishing the first Jewish ghetto, in the city's the Cannaregio distr

Venice compels Jews to live in a specific area, establishing the first Jewish ghetto, in the city's the Cannaregio district.

Explorer Juan Ponce de León claims Florida for Spain as the first known European to reach it

Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 27, 1513?
Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513. He was born in Santervás de Campos, Valladolid, Spain, in 1474. Though little is known about his family, he was of noble birth and served in the Spanish military from a young age.
Why is Spaniard Juan Ponce de León and his expedition first sight Florida significant?
Juan Ponce de León (1474 – July 1521) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador known for leading the first official European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508 and Florida in 1513.
Who was involved in Spaniard Juan Ponce de León and his expedition first sight Florida?
Key figures include Juan Ponce de León.

Explore More

March 27 in HistoryYear 1513