Juan Ponce de León (1474-1521) was a Spanish conquistador who led expeditions from Puerto Rico to the coast of Florida, giving the region its current name. He also served as the first governor of Puerto Rico and discovered the Gulf Stream. He died following a skirmish with indigenous peoples on a second voyage of exploration to Florida in 1521.
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Definition
Timeline
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1474 - 1521Life of the conquistador Juan Ponce de León.
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1493Juan Ponce de León arrives in Hispaniola.
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1509 - 1511Juan Ponce de León serves as the first governor of Puerto Rico.
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Mar 1513 - Apr 1513Juan Ponce de León lands in Florida, the first documented European to do so.
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2 Apr 1513Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon lands on the coast of what will become Florida, most likely near modern-day St. Augustine, claiming the land for Spain and naming it for its abundant flora and the Easter season of Pascua Florida.
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Jun 1513Juan Ponce de León discovers the Tortugas and the Gulf Stream.
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Sep 1514Juan Ponce de León is made the military governor of Bimini and Florida.
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1521Juan Ponce de León leads a second expedition to Florida to found a Spanish colony. His party is attacked and he dies of his wounds in Cuba.
