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Oct 12, 1492
Christopher Columbus
Born 1451 in Genoa,son of a prosperous wood merchant and weaver. Died in 1506. In 1477 he became a master marriner, he married and had two sons. He sailed to Cuba, Spain, portugal, and Jamaica. He is famous for discovering the New World in October 1492. -
Dec 14, 1519
Hernando Cortes
Born 1485 in Medellin, Spain. In 1502 he heard stories of the new world and joined the expedition to the West Indies. In 1514 he settles in Cuba to become a rancher. In 1533 Cortes makes his final expedition and discovers Baja for California. Cortes dies oon December 2, 1547 near Seville. -
Jun 17, 1527
Cabeza de Vaca
Born in 1490 in Andalusia, Spain. His parents were Francisco de Vaca and Teresa Cabeza de Vaca. First expedition was in 1527 to the New World. He also traveled to Cuba and Trinidad. In 1537 he is granted the post of Govenor of the LaPlata regions. In April 1543 to March 1544 Cabeza is held prisoner. He dies in Valladolid, Spain in 1559. He discovered Spanish America. -
Feb 23, 1540
Franciso Coronado
Born in Salamanca, Spain 1510. He married in 1537 and had eight children. He was named Govenor of Nueva Galicia in 1538. First expedition was Feb 23, 1540 to South Western North America in search for gold. Coronado was found guilty of atrocities against Indians and was removed from office in 1544. Coronado died in Sept 22, 1554. He was famous for the first European to explore the southwest of North America in Arizona and New Mexico. He searched for the seven cities of gold. -
La Salle
Born in France on Nov 24, 1643. He was 23 when he set sail for Canada with plans to ba a farmer, instead he began trading fur. In 1669 he sold his land and spent 2 years exploring. In 1684-1687 he led an expedition to further explore the southern end of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. On March 20, 1687 he was killed in Texas by 3 of his own men
