-
Period: Mar 1, 1498 to Jan 3, 1543
Born to Death
When was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo born? It is unknown about when he was born but it was in the late 1400s -
Mar 21, 1502
Explored The West Indies
He first joined an expedition to the West Indies in 1502 led by Nicolas de Ovando with Diego Velazquez. The Ovando expedition consisted of 2500 soldiers and settlers and a fleet of 30 ships -
Jan 1, 1519
Set Sail to Cuba
He accompanied Hernando Cortes on his exploration of Mexico and the conquest of the Aztec Empire -
Jan 1, 1530
Wealthy Conquistador
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo joined other Spanish military expeditions in Mexico, Guatemala, and San Salvador and then settled in Guatemala after being rewarded with a grant of land -
Jun 24, 1542
Exploring The Pacific Ocean Finds California AKA San Miguel
He had hoped to discover a trade route connecting the North Pacific to the North Atlantic and to discover the whereabouts of the "Seven Golden Cities of Cibola" - the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. On 28 September, he landed in what is now San Diego Bay and named it "San Miguel -
Jan 3, 1543
Cabillo's Death and Legacy
November 23, 1542: Winter storms forced Cabrillo to turn back to San Salvador. There were skirmishes with the natives and Cabrillo fell and broke his leg. His wound became infected and failed to heal.January 3, 1543: Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo died on January 3, 1543
