Explorer balboa biography
•
Vasco Núñez dem Balboa
(1475-1519)
Who Was Vasco Núñez de Balboa?
Explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa helped establish the town of Darién on the Isthmus of Panama, becoming interim governor. In 1513, he led the first European expedition to the Pacific Ocean, but news of the discovery arrived after the king had sent Pedro Arias dem Ávila to serve as the new governor of Darién. Ávila, reportedly jealous of Balboa, had him beheaded for treason in 1519.
Early Life and Exploration
Born in 1475 in Jerez de los Caballeros, in the province of Extremadura in Castile, Spain, Balboa went on to become the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
At a time when many people in Spain were seeking their fortunes in the New World, Balboa joined an expedition to South amerika. After exploring the coast of present-day Colombia, Balboa stayed on the island of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic). While there, he got into debt and fled, hiding away on a ship headed for t
•
Biography of Vasco Núñez de Balboa, Conquistador and Explorer
Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519) was a Spanish conquistador, explorer, and administrator. He is best known for leading the first European expedition to sight the Pacific Ocean, or the "South Sea" as he referred to it. He is still remembered and venerated in Panama as a heroic explorer.
Fast Facts: Vasco Núñez de Balboa
- Known For: First European sighting of the Pacific Ocean and colonial governance in what is now Panama
- Born: 1475 in Jeréz de los Caballeros, Extremadura province, Castile
- Parents: Differing historical accounts of parents' names: his family was noble but no longer wealthy
- Spouse: María de Peñalosa
- Died: January 1519 in Acla, near present-day Darién, Panama
Early Life
Nuñez de Balboa was born into a noble family that was no longer wealthy. His father and mother were both of noble blood in Badajoz, Spain and Vasco was born in Jeréz de los Caballeros in 1475. Although noble, B
•
Early Life and Career
Balboa was born in 1475 in Jerez de los Caballeros, a town in the impoverished Extremadura region of Spain. His father was believed to be a nobleman, but the family was not wealthy; like many of his class, Balboa decided to seek his fortune in the New World.
Around 1500, he joined Spanish explorers on an expedition the coast of present-day Colombia, then returned to the island of Hispaniola (present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and sought to make his living as a farmer. After falling into debt, he fled his creditors by stowing away on an expedition carrying supplies to the colony of San Sebastian, located on the coast of Urabá (now Colombia), in 1510.
Did you know? The Spanish region of Extremadura, where Vasco Núñez de Balboa was born, was home to many other famous New World conquistadors, including Hernán Cortés, Francisco Pizarro, Hernando de Soto and Francisco de Orellana.
The colony had been largely abandoned by the time they arrive