Avila, reportedly jealous of balboa, had him beheaded for treason. He is known for being the first european to discover the pacific ocean on a mission to try and find a spice trade route to asia. The exact date of his birth is unknown but the year of his birth is believed to be 1475. As a child he was a squire and a page to the lord of.
In 15 vasco crossed the isthmus of panama and became the first european to see the pacific ocean. He was a bankrupt nobleman who escaped from his creditors to hispaniola and afterward joined an expedition under martin fernandez do enciso, one of ojedas lieutenants, to the latters darien colony of san sebastian. At a time when many people in spain were seeking their fortunes in the new world, balboa joined an expedition to. 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 learned his navigation, direction, and sea skills from the lord he was working for. Balboa was born into a deprived spanish family in spain and sailed for spain. His expedition of 15 became the first time europeans reached the pacific ocean. He grew up in spain and was a decendant of the lord mason castle of balboa and started exploring in 1505. With a small band of spaniards and a larger number of native american allies, he journeyed to the narrowest part of the isthmus, fought his way across the hilly, swampy country, and on sept. He is most remembered for his expedition in 15 to panama from spain hoping to make a new discovery to impress king ferdinand, on the expedition he found.
The relationship between enciso and balboa had always been hostile. Although noble, balboa could not hope for much in the way of even a meager inheritance, as he was the third of four sons. Vasco had a brother alvar born 1499 and vasco was born probably 1475. He is best known for having crossed the isthmus of panama to the pacific ocean in 15, becoming the first european to lead an expedition to have seen or reached the pacific from the new world. He was the first spanish explorer to gain a permanent foothold on the american mainland. He sighted the ocean in 15 from a mountaintop in what is now panama. Panamas circulation dimes, quarters and halves have consistently featured a portrait of balboa, but the balboa coin shown to the right has a value of 100 centesimos. Nunez came to explore for his spain when he decided he was ready to start claiming land for his country. Balboa began his career as a sailor on a voyage to south america in spanish navy. Dec 09, 2012 dear us postmaster, vasco nunez balboa was a very significant explorer that was born in 1475 and died in 1519. Balboa fled his debts and hoped for a better life in san sebastian, colombia.
He traveled to the new world in 1500 and, after some exploration, settled on the. His family was noble, but by the late fifteenth century it had lost most of its money, land, and influence. The mother may have extended childbearing years over a long period of time. Dear us postmaster, vasco nunez balboa was a very significant explorer that was born in 1475 and died in 1519. When and where was vasco nuneze balboa born answers. Balboa was a descendent of the lord mason of castle balboa. He is the third of four boys, and during his adolescence he serves as a page and squire to the lord of moguer. Be good researchers and check both pages for each question so you get all the information you need. His parents belong to the lower nobility, but his father is not wealthy, so balboa will need to seek his fortune through travel, like most men of his class. He sighted the ocean in15 from a mountaintop in what is now panama.