Who is Juan Ponce de Leon for kids?
Juan Ponce de León was an early Spanish explorer of the Americas. He was the first European to visit Florida. He is also famous for his association with the legendary Fountain of Youth. Ponce de León was born in about 1460 in the Spanish province of León.
What did Juan Ponce de Leon discover for kids?
Ponce de Leon was the first European to discover the Gulf Stream (a powerful current in the Atlantic Ocean) during his 1512 expedition. The arrow that killed Ponce de Leon was poisoned with the sap of the manchineel tree. His tomb is at the San Juan Cathedral in Puerto Rico.
Who was Ponce de León in history?
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. In 1508–09 he explored and settled Puerto Rico, founding the colony’s oldest settlement, Caparra, near what is now San Juan. He is also credited with being the first European to reach Florida (1513).
What was the purpose of Juan Ponce de Leon exploration?
In pursuit of a rumored fountain of youth located on an island known as Bimini, Ponce de León led an expedition to the coast of what is now Florida in 1513. Thinking it was the island he sought, he sailed back to colonize the region in 1521, but was fatally wounded in a Native American attack soon after his arrival.
What was Juan Ponce de Leon early life like?
Early life. Juan Ponce de León was born in San Servas, Spain. Although born into a noble family, he was poor, and like many in similar situations, he sought fame and fortune as a soldier. He received an education in fighting skills, manners, and religion while serving a knight named Pedro Nunez de Guzman ,…
How many children did Ponce de Leon have?
Around this time, Ponce de León married Leonora, an innkeeper’s daughter. They had three daughters ( Juana , Isabel and Maria) and one son (Luis). The large stone house Ponce de León ordered built for his growing family still stands today near the city of Salvaleón de Higüey.
What did Ponce de Leon do as a child?
Juan Ponce de Leon was born in the Spanish kingdom of Castile around the year 1474. While still a young boy, Juan went to work as a squire for a knight named Don Pedro Nunez de Guzman . As a squire, he helped take care of the knight’s armor and horses.
What did Juan Ponce de Leon try to find?
Juan Ponce de Leon, a 16th century Spanish explorer is often remembered for his attempt to locate the fabled “Fountain of Youth.”. While Ponce de Leon never did find the restorative waters, he did however, make an important discovery: the Gulf Stream, the warm swift Atlantic Ocean current.
