Question: What Spanish explorer first spotted the Florida mainland in 1513 as his three-ship fleet sailed in the Atlantic Ocean?
Answer: Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de Leon sought a mythical fountain, a magical spring whose water was believed to make older people young again. Ponce de León explored many areas, including the Bahamas and Bimini, in search of both gold and the fountain, but he never found either. In late March of 1513, his ships landed on Florida’s east coast near present-day St. Augustine. He claimed this beautiful land for Spain.
