3990 Bulgaria 1992 Explorers **MNH/ Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada Spanish conquistador Colombia model Cervantes Don Quixote

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Sc#3680-3685, Mic#3974-3979, - Famous men, Costumes, Ships,horses ,

Francisco de Orellana (c. 1500 - c. 1549) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador. Orellana took part in the Spanish conquest of Peru with Francisco Pizarro, and was one of Gonzalo Pizarro´s lieutenants during Gonzalo´s 1541 expedition east of Quito into the South American interior in search of La Canela, the illusory "Valley of Cinnamon". In December 1541, at what is today the Napo River, Orellana´s ship was separated from the main force. In one of the most improbably successful voyages in known history, Orellana managed to sail the length of the Amazon River, arriving at the river´s mouth in August 1542. It was on this voyage that the Amazon got its name; Orellana wrote that he was attacked by fierce female warriors, but it is possible that he actually fought long haired male Amerindian warriors. Orellana died on a subsequent voyage down the Amazon. The present-day Ecuadorian province of Orellana was named after him.

Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454 - February 22, 1512) was an Italian merchant, explorer and cartographer. He played a senior role in two voyages which explored the east coast of South America between 1499 and 1502. On the second of these voyages he discovered that South America extended much further south than previously known by Europeans. This convinced him that this land was part of a new continent, a bold contention at a time when other European explorers crossing the Atlantic Ocean thought they were reaching Asia. Statue at the Uffizi, FlorenceVespucci´s voyages became widely known in Europe after two accounts attributed to him were published between 1502 and 1504.[1] In 1507, Martin Waldseemuller produced a world map on which he named the new continent "America" after Vespucci´s first name, Amerigo. In an accompanying book, Waldseemuller published one of the Vespucci accounts, which led to criticisms of Vespucci as trying to usurp Christopher Columbus´s glory. However, the rediscovery in the 18th century of other letters by Vespucci has led to the view that the early published accounts were fabrications, not by Vespucci, but by others.

Ferdinand Magellan (Portuguese: Fernao de Magalhaes, IPA pronunciation: /; Spanish: Fernando or Hernando de Magallanes; Spring 1480–April 27, 1521) was a Portuguese born maritime explorer who, at the service of Spain, attempted to find a westward route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. This voyage became known as the first successful attempt at world circumnavigation. He did not complete his final, westward voyage; he was killed during the Battle of Mactan in the Philippines. He did, however, die farther west than the Spice Islands, which he had visited from the west on earlier voyages, making him become one of the first individuals to cross all the meridians of the globe. He became the first person to lead an expedition sailing westward from Europe to Asia and to cross the Pacific Ocean. Magellan should also be recognized as the first European explorer to enter the Pacific from the Strait of Magellan, which he discovered.

Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada (1509–1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in Colombia. While successful in many of his exploits, acquiring massive amounts of gold and emeralds, he ended his career disastrously; he has been suggested as a possible model for Cervantes´ Don Quixote.[1] He was a lawyer by training. He was appointed chief justice of Santa Marta colony (on the north coast of Colombia), where he arrived in 1535 with the fleet of Pedro Fernandez de Lugo. In 1536 he was commissioned by de Lugo to command an expedition to explore southwards into the interior of Colombia. A land party under Quesada, with Hernan Perez de Quesada (his brother), Juan San Martin, Juan del Junco (as second in command) and Lazaro Fonte, struck south from Santa Marta, crossed the Cesar River, and arrived at Tamalameque on the Magdalena River. A support fleet of 6 (or 5) ships had also sailed from Santa Marta with 800 men to navigate the Magdalena. Only two of the vessels actually arrived at Tamalameque, and subsequently returned to Santa Marta with many of Quesada´s men. Continuing up the Magdalena as far as La Tora (=Barrancabermeja), Quesada and his men ascended the Opon River into the cordillera, reaching the Opon hills, Chipata (near Velez) (March 1537) and the valley of the Suarez River. Passing Lake Fuquene and Lake Suesca, they reached Nemoncon and Zipaquira, but with only 166 men left alive (600 had perished en route). From there they entered the lands of the King Bocota (at the site of present day Bogota). They renamed Bacata (the major city) as Santa Fe de Bogota, and attacked Tunja. Quesada remained in the region until the arrival of the expeditions of Sebastian de Belalcazar from Ecuador and Nikolaus Federmann from Venezuela in 1539. The three generals then agreed on the refoundation of the capital and promptly decided to submit their rival territorial claims to the arbitration of the crown. From Cartagena they sailed for Spain, where Quesada pressed his claim as governor. In this he was unsuccessful, the governorship of Popayan being awarded to Belalcazar, but Quesada did return (in 1549) with the honorific title of Governor of El Dorado. In 1568, at the age of 60, Quesada received a commission to conquer Los Llanos to the east of the Colombian cordillera. From Bogota in April 1569 with 400 Spaniards, 1500 natives, 1100 horses and 8 priests, he first descended to Mesetas on the upper Guejar River. There most of the livestock was destroyed by a grass fire. Quesada´s expedition then moved to nearby San Juan de los Lllanos, where a course was set for east-southeast (by the guide Pedro Soleto), and maintained for the following two years. After a year or so some men returned with Juan Maldonado, reaching San Juan after six months with few survivors. Quesada eventually reached (San Fernando de) Atabapo at the confluence of the Guaviare and the Orinoco (in December 1571), any further movement requiring the construction of ships. He therefore dejectedly returned to Bogota, arriving in December 1572 with only 64 Spaniards, 4 natives, 18 horses and 2 priests. The expedition had been one of the most expensive disasters on record, and after a brief period of service in a frontier command Quesada retired to Huesca (Spain) with what he could salvage of his fortune. He died in Mariquita in 1579, and his remains were taken to the cathedral at Bogota.

Sir Francis Drake, Vice Admiral, (c. 1540 – January 28, 1596) was an English privateer, navigator, slave trader, politician, and civil engineer of the Elizabethan era. He was second-in-command of the English fleet against the Spanish Armada in 1588. He died of dysentery while unsuccessfully attacking San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1596.

Pedro de Valdivia (c. 1500 - January 1, 1554) was a conquistador and first royal governor of Chile. He was the founder of various cities within the territory, including Santiago, Concepcion, and Valdivia. Pedro de Valdivia is believed to have been born in Badajoz, Spain in 1500 (some sources put his date of birth as early as 1497) from a family of hidalgos. In 1520 he enlisted with the army of Charles V and fought in Flanders in 1521 and Italy between 1522 and 1525. He married Marina Ortiz de Gaete. In 1535 he left her to embark for a voyage to Venezuela.

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