1513

Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León departed Puerto Rico in early 1513 seeking new lands and resources for the Spanish crown. After weeks at sea with a small fleet, his ships approached an unfamiliar coastline on Easter Sunday. On March 27, 1513, the expedition sighted the verdant shores of what Ponce named La Florida in honor of the Easter season and abundant flowers. The sighting marked the first documented European contact with the North American mainland north of Mexico. The fleet then sailed along the coast, later landing to claim the territory for Spain.

Event Detail America 250 Atlas

1513

Exploration 16th Century Latin America & Caribbean

Balboa Becomes First European to Sight Pacific Ocean

By 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Núñez de Balboa had established himself as a leader in the settlement of Santa María la Antigua del Darién on the Isthmus of Panama after earlier voyages and local power struggles. Seeking gold and new territories, he led an expedition of about 190 Spaniards and indigenous allies across the dense jungles and mountains of the isthmus. Guided by local knowledge, Balboa climbed a peak along the Chucunaque River and, on September 25, gazed upon the vast waters to the west, which he claimed for Spain as the South Sea. He and his men erected crosses and celebrated with a Te Deum, marking the first confirmed European view of the Pacific from the Americas. This sighting...

Event Detail Peopling Earth

1513 Timeline

Ponce de Leon First Sights Florida

Balboa Becomes First European to Sight Pacific Ocean