Juan Díaz de Solís facts for kids

Juan Díaz de Solís (born around 1470 – died January 20, 1516) was a famous explorer and navigator from the 1500s. Many people believe he was the first European to land in what is now the country of Uruguay.

Biography

Juan Díaz de Solís's early life is a bit of a mystery. Some records say he was Portuguese and worked for the Spanish Crown. He might have been born in Lisbon or a place called São Pedro de Solis. Other records suggest he was born in Lebrija, Spain, where he lived for some time.

He started his sailing career in Portugal. He became a skilled pilot for Portuguese fleets sailing to India. Later, he worked for French ships for a short time. After that, he began serving the Spanish Crown.

Early Expeditions

Díaz de Solís worked as a navigator on important trips. He explored the Yucatán Peninsula between 1506 and 1507. He also sailed to Brazil in 1508 with another explorer, Vicente Yáñez Pinzón.

In 1512, he became the Pilot-Major of Spain. This was a very important job, like being the chief navigator for the country. He took over after Amerigo Vespucci passed away. His new role included updating the Padrón Real, which was Spain's official map of the world.

Journey to South America

Two years after becoming Pilot-Major, Díaz de Solís planned a big expedition. He wanted to explore the southern part of the new American continent. He set sail from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain, on October 8, 1515. He had three ships and a crew of 70 men.

He sailed south along the eastern coast of South America. In 1516, he reached a large river mouth and named it the Río de la Plata. He sailed up this river with two officers and seven men. They went as far as where the Uruguay River and the Paraná River meet.

However, their journey ended suddenly. Local people, likely the Guarani people, attacked the small group. Díaz de Solís and most of his men were killed. The remaining crew members reported what happened. His brother-in-law, Francisco de Torres, took charge of the ships and sailed back to Spain.

Honors

Several places in Uruguay are named after Juan Díaz de Solís to honor him:

• bodies of water:
  • Arroyo Solís Chico
• populated places:
  • Balneario Solís
  • Solís de Mataojo
• other:
  • Solís Theatre, the most important theatre in Montevideo
  • Route 10 Juan Díaz de Solís

See also

In Spanish: Juan Díaz de Solís para niños