Timeline of The History of The Falkland Islands - 16th Century

16th Century

• 1504: Binot Paulmier de Gonneville (France) sights islands that may have been the Falklands.
• 1522: Pedro Reinel (Portugal) Unrecorded Portuguese expedition sights Falkland Islands. Evidence is found in two early maps, one made by the Portuguese cartographer Pedro Reinel in about 1522, the very first map to show the Falklands. Islands are shown in the cartography of the epoch; possibly the most remarkable of these are those of Turkish Admiral Piri Reis which show a coastline that could be interpreted as Antarctica (some 300 years before the official discovery).
• 1525: Pedro Vega (Spain) Captain of the Anunciada, part of Frey Garcia Jofre de Loaysa's expedition, possible sighting.
• 1529: Diego de Ribero produces a map indicating islands in the position of the Falklands.
• 1535: Simon de Alcazaba (Spain) sights islands that may have been the Falklands.
• 1540: Ferdinand Camargo (Spain) shelters in islands that may have been the Falklands.
• 1541: The "Sanson" islands are indicated on the Map XV del Islario (atlas) de Alonso de Santa Cruz in a position corresponding to the Falklands.
• 1543: Juan Bautista Agnese produces a nautical chart indicating the "Sanson" Islands in a position corresponding to the Falklands.
• 1562: A map showing the "Sanson" islands is produced. Original author may be either Diego Gutiérrez or Bartholome Olives.
• 1571: A map produced by Fernao Vaz Dourado shows islands in the correct position of the Falklands.
• 1577: The "Sanson" Islands are indicated on the Martinez nautical chart.
• 1580: The "Sanson" Islands are indicated on the Olives nautical chart. Possible circumnavigation by Sir Francis Drake.
• 1583: Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (Spain) sights islands that may have been the Falklands.
• 1590: Islands are shown on contemporary Spanish and Italian charts.
• 1592: John Davis (England), member of the second English expedition of Cavendish, shelters among islands that may have been the Falklands. The Falklands motto Desire the right is in part based on Davis' ship Desire.
• 1593: Richard Hawkins (England) maps the northern coastline, naming the islands Hawkins Maydenlande after himself and Queen Elizabeth. Whether the islands were in fact the Falklands is disputed.