HISTORIAN

Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés

1478 - 1557

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Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (August 1478 – 1557), commonly known as Oviedo, was a Spanish soldier, historian, writer, botanist and colonist. Oviedo participated in the Spanish colonization of the West Indies, arriving in the first few years after Christopher Columbus became the first European to arrive at the islands in 1492. Oviedo's chronicle Historia general de las Indias, published in 1535 to expand on his 1526 summary La Natural hystoria de las Indias (collectively reprinted, three centuries after his death, as Historia general y natural de las Indias), forms one of the few primary sources about it. Portions of the original text were widely read in the 16th century in Spanish, English, Italian and French editions, and introduced Europeans to the hammock, the pineapple, and tobacco as well as creating influential representations of the colonized peoples of the region. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés is the 225th most popular historian (down from 217th in 2019), the 947th most popular biography from Spain (down from 936th in 2019) and the most popular Spanish Historian.

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Among HISTORIANS

Among historians, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés ranks 225 out of 561. Before him are Gerardus Vossius, H. J. R. Murray, Saul Friedländer, Fritz Fischer, Khvandamir, and Aban ibn Uthman. After him are Joseph de Guignes, Constantine Lascaris, Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi, İbrahim Peçevi, Vasily Klyuchevsky, and Albert Soboul.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1478, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés ranks 16. Before him are Pánfilo de Narváez, Sancha of Aragon, Barbara Jagiellon, Hatuey, Gian Giorgio Trissino, and Louis V, Elector Palatine. After him are Wolfgang Capito, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, Konrad Pellikan, Surdas, and Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón. Among people deceased in 1557, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés ranks 20. Before him are Ferrante Gonzaga, John II, Count Palatine of Simmern, Söyembikä of Kazan, Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Giovanni Battista Ramusio, and Mohammed al-Shaykh. After him is Kamran Mirza.

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In Spain

Among people born in Spain, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés ranks 947 out of 3,355. Before him are Juan Carreño de Miranda (1614), Enrique Collar (1934), Bernardo Atxaga (1951), Tiberius Sempronius Longus (-250), Fausto Elhuyar (1755), and Turibius of Mogrovejo (1538). After him are Juan Boscán Almogáver (1490), Juan Belmonte (1892), Álvaro Arbeloa (1983), Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi (1213), Baldomero Espartero (1793), and Joseph Oller (1839).

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Among HISTORIANS In Spain

Among historians born in Spain, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés ranks 1. After him are Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi (1213), Francisco López de Gómara (1511), Ibn Hayyan (987), Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot (1952), Jerónimo Zurita y Castro (1512), and Juan de Mariana (1536).

Spanish born Historians

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