March 27, 1513: Ponce de Leon sees, names La Florida
On Easter Sunday in 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon spotted the Florida mainland for the first time as his three-ship fleet sailed in the Atlantic Ocean. He named the landmass "La Florida," after the Spanish term La Pascua Florida, which means Feast of the Flowers. The explorer planned to claim the new land -- which he thought might be an island -- for the King of Spain and decided to continue sailing north to determine its size. The fleet would not come ashore until April 2. Read more about Ponce de Leon in this report by Dr. Samuel P. Turner, Director of Archaeology for the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program: The Caribbean World of Juan Ponce de Leon and His Discovery of Florida
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