Early Years
Juan Ponce de Leon was born in Tierra de Comas Palansia, Spain in 1460. born into a noble family, and joined the Spanish army at a young age. He fought in the war against the Moors in Granada. He started his exploration campaign on Christopher Columbus' second trip to the Americas in 1493 after the war.
Exploration Years
Juan Ponce de Leon had one of the most successful exploration careers of all time. He shard the same dream as all great explorers wealth, fame, and land to conquer and one day govern, but there was one thing that stood him out from the rest of the successful explorers through out time. He was searching for the Fountain of Youth. de Leon started his exploration years when he and his family accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second trip to the Americas. where he and his family settled on a nearby island called Hispaniola now the Dominican Republic. From there on he would discover many islands and territories one we now know as Florida. There he ran into the conflict with the Calusa Indians after stumbling upon them they quickly found out they were an unfriendly. later he would return to Florida and meet a fatal end because of the Calusa. But despite his efforts and years of searching he never did find the Fountain of youth.
Death
Juan Ponce de Leon returned to Florida in 1521 settle a more permanent colony. He landed in the gulf near Charlett Harbor and Estero Bay, along with him over 200 settlers and horses and supplies. As they went inland to look for fresh water and good land they were attacked by the Calusa. The settlers fled but in the process de Leon was shot in the leg and mortally wounded. The settlers decided to turn around and go back to Cuba where Ponce de Leon died because of his wound. Juan Ponce de Leon died in April 1521 he was 61.