Season 29, Day 17 - "Fountain of Truth"
It's Explorer week, and today's quiz is inspired by Ponce de León.
Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León was a 16th century Spanish explorer. Born into a noble family from the province of León, as a teenager he fought alongside the troops that drove the Moors from Granada. Historians think that he may have been part of Christopher Columbus’ crew on his second expedition to the New World in 1493. Motivated by reports of gold in the area, he founded the first European settlement on Puerto Rico in 1508. He briefly served as Puerto Rico’s first governor before embarking on his famous search for the Fountain of Youth, which he believed to be located on the island of Bimini. On April 2, 1513, Ponce de León discovered Florida, landing just north of what would later be the city of St. Augustine (the site is now part of the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park). Though he thought he’d found an island, this was actually the first European exploration of what would become the U.S. mainland. He named Florida after Pascua Florida (Spain’s Easter celebration) due to the time of year it was discovered. On this voyage, he gave the first known description of the Gulf Stream, writing in his journal about “a current such that, although they had great wind, they could not proceed forwards, but backwards.” He also discovered the Dry Tortugas (the westernmost islands of the Florida Keys), naming them for the sea turtles he and his men caught there. After returning to Puerto Rico, he was made military governor of Bimini and Florida. Upon receiving a royal commission to colonize Florida, he sailed there in 1521 (notably, it was actually Hernando de Soto who claimed Florida for Spain in 1539). Ponce de León was wounded by a poison arrow in Florida and was taken to Cuba, where he died shortly after. The inscription on his tomb in San Juan, Puerto Rico describes him as “the valiant Lion whose deeds surpassed the greatness of his name” (León is Spanish for lion). Ponce (one of the largest cities in Puerto Rico) and Leon County (home to Florida’s capital, Tallahassee) are named in his honor, as is Ponce de Leon Bay in the Everglades.