EXPLORER

Ruy López de Villalobos

1500 - 1544

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Ruy López de Villalobos (Spanish pronunciation: [ruj ˈlopeθ ðe βiʝaˈloβos]; c. 1500 – 23 April 1546) was a Spanish explorer who led a failed attempt to colonize the Philippines in 1544, attempting to assert Spanish control there under the terms of the treaties of Tordesillas and Zaragoza. Unable to feed his men through barter, raiding, or farming and unable to request resupply from Mexico due to poor knowledge of the Pacific's winds and currents, Villalobos abandoned his mission and fled to the Portuguese-held Moluccas, where he died in prison. He is chiefly remembered for some sources crediting him with naming Leyte and Samar "Las Islas Filipinas" in 1543 in honor of the Spanish crown prince Philip (later King Philip II). The name was later extended across the entire Philippine Archipelago and its nation. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Ruy López de Villalobos is the 212th most popular explorer (down from 164th in 2019), the 743rd most popular biography from Spain (down from 643rd in 2019) and the 37th most popular Spanish Explorer.

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Among EXPLORERS

Among explorers, Ruy López de Villalobos ranks 212 out of 498. Before him are Douglas Mawson, John Rolfe, René Caillié, Vasily Tatishchev, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, and John Sutter. After him are Jorge Álvares, Gerónimo de Aguilar, Wilhelm Filchner, Bartolomeu Perestrello, Ohthere of Hålogaland, and Pedro Cieza de León.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1500, Ruy López de Villalobos ranks 28. Before him are Sinan Pasha, Reginald Pole, Elizabeth Blount, Nuno Gonçalves, Abu'l-Hasan Ali of Granada, and Rum Mehmed Pasha. After him are Luis de Milán, Francisco de Bobadilla, Jacob Hutter, Muhammad XIII of Granada, Tielman Susato, and Francisco Serrão. Among people deceased in 1544, Ruy López de Villalobos ranks 9. Before him are Hwang Jini, Clément Marot, Antoine, Duke of Lorraine, Johannes Magnus, Valerius Cordus, and Pedro Damiano. After him are Louis V, Elector Palatine, Bonaventure des Périers, Antonio de Guevara, Teofilo Folengo, Rupert, Count Palatine of Veldenz, and Nilakantha Somayaji.

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In Spain

Among people born in Spain, Ruy López de Villalobos ranks 743 out of 3,355. Before him are Bonosus (300), Pedro (1987), Salvador Sadurní (1941), Miguel Reina (1946), Juan de Valdés Leal (1622), and Celestino Aós Braco (1945). After him are Alfonso, Prince of Asturias (1453), Antonio de Ulloa (1716), Abraham ibn Daud (1110), Gerónimo de Aguilar (1489), Víctor Muñoz (1957), and Julián Herranz Casado (1930).

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Among EXPLORERS In Spain

Among explorers born in Spain, Ruy López de Villalobos ranks 37. Before him are João da Nova (1460), Gaspar de Portolá (1716), Paulo da Gama (1465), Rodrigo de Bastidas (1460), Francisco de Montejo (1479), and Pedro Arias Dávila (1443). After him are Gerónimo de Aguilar (1489), Pedro Cieza de León (1520), Juan de Garay (1528), Francisco de Bobadilla (1500), Rodrigo de Jerez (1350), and Juan Fernández (1536).

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