Hernando De Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador born as a Hidalgo, which meant that his family did not have to pay taxes. His first voyage to the New World was in 1514 at the age of 17/18 (his exact year of birth is unknown.) He became famous for being an excellent fighter, swordsman, horse-rider, and unfortunately for being brutal.
On this day May 30th, in 1539, Hernando De Soto lands at Tampa Bay, Florida with 600 soldiers. De Soto had hopes, like so many, that he would find boundless amounts of wealth and gold. Along the way, in order to communicate with native tribes, Juan Ortiz came into De Soto’s service as a translator. Prior he had been taken captive by a tribe and almost roasted alive.
Tampa Bay is a body of water that stretches along the Gulf of Mexico and Florida. There is also a football team called the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay itself has no municipality, and instead the area surrounding it is referred to as the Metropolitan Area of Tampa Bay, which are the areas surrounding the estuary. The metropolitan area of Tampa Bay now has over 4 million people.