Ponce de León Discovers Florida

Date: April 2, 1513 • Location: Madrid, Spain

Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León sighted land in North America, naming the area La Florida.

Conquistadors or conquistadores were Spanish and Portuguese colonists who explored, traded with, and conquered many parts of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania during the Age of Discovery. Sailing beyond the Iberian Peninsula, they established numerous colonies and trade routes, and brought much of the New World under the dominion of Spain and Portugal.