Timeline of Juan Ponce de Leon

Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer and conquistador, famous for his voyage to Florida as well as for his association with the legend of the Fountain of Youth. He also discovered the Gulf stream and established the oldest European settlement in Puerto Rico. Here is the timeline of Juan Ponce de León.

• 1474: Juan Ponce de León was born in 1474 in the village of Santervás de Campos, Spain. He came from a noble Spanish family and learned several languages beside physics, geometry, mathematics and astronomy.
• 1490: He fought as a soldier in the Spanish army against the Muslims (Moors) in southern Spain, after serving as page to Don Pedro Nunuz de Guzman, a Spanish knight. He also traveled the seas as a privateer, attacking ships belonging to the Moors.
• 1493 Ponce de León joined Christopher Columbus during his second voyage for the new world, along with some 1200 sailors, colonists, and soldiers. In September, he left from Cadiz in southwestern Spain, on one of the 16 ships meant for the expedition of Columbus.
• 1494: He stayed back in Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, after the return of Christopher Columbus to Spain.
• 1502: Ponce de León was assigned the task of crushing the native Taínos, who were considered to be rebellions in Hispaniola. He was appointed by governor Nicolás de Ovando, to bring order to a colony which was in disarray. Later, Ponce de León was made the frontier governor of the new province Higüey, by Ovando. In addition to the post, Ovando also awarded him a substantial land grant along with sufficient Indian labor, to farm his new estate.
• 1505: Ponce de León established a new town in Higüey and named it Salvaleón. The same year, he married Leonora, who was the daughter of an innkeeper.
• 1508: On account of his earlier exploration and stories heard from the native Tainos, Ponce de León was sure of the presence of gold on the Boriquen island. In 1508, he got permission for the first official expedition to the island, from Ferdinand II of Aragon. He left Hispaniola on June 12, 1508, along with a small group and eventually anchored in San Juan Bay. He created the first settlement in Puerto Rico by the name of Caparra and went on to explore the island for gold.
• 1509: Ponce de León returned to Hispaniola in the early 1509 bringing back a good quantity of gold with him. He was appointed as the governor of San Juan Bautista and was instructed to extend the settlement of the island. Later the same year, Juan Ceron was appointed as the chief justice and Miguel Diaz as the chief constable of the island. These appointments were made by Diego Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus and were meant to override the authority of the governor.
• 1512: Ponce de León was given a royal contract which outlined his rights and authorities to search for the 'Islands of Bimini' also spelled Benimy (in the Bahamas).
• 1513: Ponce de León set out from San German in Peutro Rico with three ships, at his own expense, on March 4, 1513. After traveling for a few days, the fleet sighted land, which Ponce de León believed was another island. He named it as La Florida because of the beautiful flowers on its landscape. He went on searching for a chain of islands in the west and reached the Dry Tortugas on June 21. There the crew members captured many giant sea turtles, Caribbean Monk Seals and seabirds. Ponce de León reached the shore of Puerto Rico on October 19, almost eight months after the beginning of his exploration. According to many historians, he discovered Florida while searching for the Fountain of Youth.
• 1514: Ponce de León secured a second grant, which gave him the power to make settlements on the Islands of Bimini and Florida. He was also knighted and given a personal coat of arms, which made him the first conquistador to receive these honors.
• 1521: Ponce de León set out with two ships which consisted of some 200 men, including priests, farmers and artisans, in order to colonise Florida. He landed on the west coast of Florida along with his fleet, but was met by Native American warriors. He suffered serious injuries in the conflict and died of his wounds in Havana, Cuba, in July, 1521.

Juan Ponce de León was a great Spanish explorer and soldier and his tomb was built in the cathedral, in Old San Juan, Peurto Rico.