1584day.year
A naval expedition led by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa founds Nombre de Jesús, the first of two short-lived Spanish settlements in the Strait of Magellan.
In 1584, explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa established Nombre de Jesús, the first Spanish settlement in the harsh environment of the Strait of Magellan.
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa led a Spanish naval expedition that founded Nombre de Jesús on February 11, 1584, at the western entrance to the Strait of Magellan. Intended to secure Spain's control over this vital passage, the settlement faced brutal weather, supply shortages, and hostile terrain. Despite Sarmiento's detailed maps and fortifications, the colony struggled to survive in the subpolar climate. Within a year the settlers abandoned the site, relocating to Ciudad del Rey Don Felipe further north. Although short-lived, Nombre de Jesús exemplifies the challenges of early Atlantic exploration and Spain's strategic ambitions in the New World.
1584
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa
Nombre de Jesús
Spanish settlements in the Strait of Magellan