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Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
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United States postage stamp showing Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in armor and helmet, with a sailing ship and map in the background. Text reads Explorer of California 1542 and Cabrillo. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Cabrillo National Monument
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United States postage stamp showing Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in armor and helmet, with a sailing ship and map in the background. Text reads Explorer of California 1542 and Cabrillo.
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, from a U.S. postage stamp, 1992.

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo

explorer
Also known as: João Rodrigues Cabrilho
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (died January 3, 1543?, off the coast of northern California) was a soldier and explorer in the service of Spain, chiefly known as the discoverer of California. Virtually nothing definitive is known of Cabrillo’s early life. Although more than one village in Portugal has claimed to be his birthplace, scholars have long debated whether he was of Spanish or Portuguese origin. As a young man, he appears to have accompanied the Spanish...

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