Francisco Ruiz Lozano facts for kids
Francisco Ruiz Lozano was a smart and important person from Peru who lived a long time ago (from 1607 to 1677). He was born in Oruro, which is now part of Bolivia. Later, he moved to Mexico City, where he passed away. He was many things: a soldier, someone who studied stars (an astronomer), a math expert (mathematician), and a teacher.
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Early Life and Learning
Francisco Ruiz Lozano was born in 1607 in a place called Oruro. When he was young, he studied with the Jesuits in Lima, Peru, at the College of San Martín. This is where he discovered his great love for mathematics. He also learned about hydrography, which is the science of mapping and charting water bodies.
In 1651, Francisco moved to Mexico City to continue his education at the University of Mexico. While there, he learned about navigation, which is the skill of guiding ships. He didn't just learn it from books; he also practiced it.
Observing a Comet
In 1652, Francisco and his teacher, Fray Diego Rodríguez, watched a comet in the sky. They wrote a report about it called Discurso ethereológico del nuevo cometa. This report was published in Mexico City that same year.
Important Roles in Peru
In 1655, Francisco Ruiz Lozano went back to Lima, Peru. He traveled with the new viceroy, Luis Enríquez de Guzmán, conde de Alba de Liste. A viceroy was like a governor who ruled a colony for the king of Spain. The viceroy made Francisco a captain in the Spanish army.
Director of the Nautical School
In 1657, a special school for sailors was started in Lima. It was located at the Hospital of Espiritu Santo, which was a hospital for sailors. Francisco Ruiz Lozano became the very first director of this nautical school. The school's main goal was to train skilled sailors to protect the viceroyalty, which was the land ruled by the viceroy.
Chief Mapmaker of Peru
Francisco also held a very important job called cosmógrafo mayor of Peru. This title meant he was the chief astronomer and mapmaker. His duties included creating almanacs (books with important dates and information) and writing instructions for sailing ships. He also managed the Hospital of Espiritu Santo for several years, making improvements to the building and its finances.
Family and Teaching
In 1658, Francisco married Jacoba de la Cueva, who was from Lima. He also became a tutor, teaching the sons of Viceroy Enríquez de Guzmán. Later, he and another tutor, Juan Ramón Koening, taught the son of the next viceroy, Diego de Benavides y de la Cueva. Francisco Ruiz Lozano was also the first person to hold a university position for teaching mathematics in Peru.
Travels and Business
Francisco Ruiz Lozano traveled a lot for business. In 1660 or 1661, he was in Portobelo, Panama, buying and selling different goods. In 1662, he was in Panama City for similar reasons. Throughout his life, he traveled to many places in Spanish America, including Panama, Cartagena de Indias, Acapulco, Valparaiso, Concepción, and Talcahuano, all for his trading activities.
Later, he was named general of the navy for the Southern Sea. This likely happened when Baltasar de la Cueva Enríquez was the Count of Castellar (between 1674 and 1678).
Studying Comets
In 1665, Francisco published another important book in Lima. It was called Tratado de Cometas. This book was about a comet he saw in Lima and other parts of the world from late 1664 to early 1665. This report was very special because it was the first time that European astronomical observations were published in South America. He first saw this comet on December 11, 1664.
Later Life
Francisco Ruiz Lozano passed away in Mexico City. It seems he was there on a business trip, trading mercury at the time of his death.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Ruiz Lozano para niños
