Today in the year 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon became the first European to set foot on what is now known as the state of Florida.
While he is best remembered for his search for the legendary "Fountain of Youth", Ponce de Leon was a prodigious adventurer who discovered many new lands and claimed a variety of territories in the name of Spain.
His final voyage in 1521 brought him back to the southwestern coast of Florida where he intended to found a colony. Ponce de Leon and his entourage encountered hostility from the native Calusa indians and he was struck in the shoulder by a poison arrow. They retreated to Havana, Cuba where he died from the wound a short time later.
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