Timeline Description: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was a Spanish explorer who discovered the southern United States, including the Grand Canyon. This is a timeline of his life.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1510 | Francisco Vasquez de Coronado is born Francisco was born in Spain to a wealthy family. He set off on his own to make a name for himself. |
| 1530 | Rumors of riches Rumors of riches in the land above Mexico started going around the world. Explorers came to find a fortune. |
| 1535 | Coronado sails to Mexico A friend of Francisco's was the Vicery of Mexico, and Francisco went to meet him. He hoped to explore. |
| 1536 | The Seven Cities of Gold An explorer named Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca travelled through the lands north of Mexico. He said there were seven cities of gold. |
| 1539 | More stories of the cities A missionary also claimed to see the cities of gold. Gold seekers flocked to the area. |
| 1540 | Francisco is sent to explore The Vicery of Mexico sent Francisco on an expedition to find the seven cities of gold. |
| October 1540 | The expedition is a failure After months of searching, Francisco's men came up empty handed. They split up to find other treasures. |
| 1541 | The Grand Canyon is discovered Part of Francisco's men discovered the Grand Canyon, while others found the Colorado Plateau. |
| 1542 | Francisco returns to Mexico When they were sure there was no gold to discover, Francisco and his men returned to Mexico. |
| 1544 | Francisco gets into trouble for his expedition The Vicery was disappointed in Francisco's failure and so he charged Francisco with neglecting his duty. Francisco was eventually cleared from the charges. |
| 1547 | Francisco regains favor Even though he was cleared of the charges against him, Francisco continued to be cast out. He testified for the governor of New Spain, and it helped him regain favor with the people. |
| 1549 | Francisco is rewarded Francisco was given a piece of land as a reward for his service. |
| 1554 | Francisco Vasquez de Coronado dies Francisco spent the rest of his life in Mexico before he died. His legacy as the first European to explore the American west has lived on. |
| 1936 | Coronado Heights was built Coronado Heights was a hill in Kansas near a site where artifacts were found. The people believed the artifacts came from Coronado's expedition. |
| 1952 | The Coronado National Memorial The Coronado National Memorial is a national park in the American Southwest. It was named in honor of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado. |