Enrique de Gandía facts for kids

Enrique de Gandía (born February 1, 1906, in Buenos Aires, Argentina – died July 18, 2000) was a very important Argentine historian. He wrote more than one hundred books! He was known for his deep knowledge of history and his interesting ideas.

A Life of Learning and Teaching

Enrique de Gandía loved to learn and share his knowledge. He taught at several universities, helping many students learn about history and other subjects.

• He was a professor at the School of Fine Arts starting in 1948.
• He also taught at the University of Morón (from 1960) and the University of Belgrano (from 1967). He even helped start these last two universities!
• Later, in 1991, he taught Political Science at the Kennedy University.
• In 1948, he became the director of the Buenos Aires Municipal Museum, which is now called the Historical Museum of Buenos Aires "Cornelio de Saavedra."

Recognized for His Work

Enrique de Gandía's hard work and smart ideas were noticed by many important groups.

• He became a full member of several National Academies, like the National Academy of History (in 1930) and the National Academy of Moral and Political Sciences (in 1938).
• He also helped start the National Institute of San Martin in 1933.
• In 1930, he co-founded the Paraguayan Institute of Historical Research. This group, along with the Institute of History and Geography of Paraguay, made him an honorary member.
• He received many awards, including the Konex Award in 1984.
• The government of Portugal honored him in 1991 with the title of Commander of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator.
• He also received special honorary doctorates from the National University of Asuncion and the University of the Basque Country.

His Unique Ideas About Old Maps

Enrique de Gandía was very interested in old maps and how people explored the world long ago.

• He was part of a group called the Argentine School of Protocartography. This group studied very old maps.
• He was the first person to suggest an exciting idea: that a place shown as the "fourth peninsula of Asia" on some old maps (sometimes called the Cattigara Peninsula) was actually South America!
• He wrote about this idea in his book Primitivos navegantes vascos, which means "Early Basque Sailors." This shows how he connected ancient maps with the history of exploration.

See also

In Spanish: Enrique de Gandía para niños

• Dick Edgar Ibarra Grasso
• Paul Gallez
• Basque sailors
• Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact