ST. AUGUSTINE ESTABLISHED BY SPANISH IN FLORIDA
St. Augustine, Florida (JFK+50) On September 8, 1565, a Spanish expedition under Pedro Menendez de Aviles* established the first permanent European colony in present day St. Augustine, Florida.
St. Augustine, located on the site of the Timucuan** Indian village of Seloy, was established 42 years before Jamestown, Virginia and 55 years before Plimoth. Massachusetts.
St. Augustine is the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States. It is said to be the most significant city in the region for 3 centuries as well as the oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the continental U.S.
*Pedro Menendez de Aviles (1519-1574) was born in Aviles, Asturias, Spain. He was the 1st governor of Florida (1565-1574) & governor of Cuba.
**Timucua were Native Americans who lived in present day southern Georgia & northern Florida. They lived in different tribes which controlled their own territories & spoke in different dialects. They practiced agriculture & hunted & gathered. By 1800, the Timucua were extinct.
SOURCE
"Today in History-September 8," Timelines of History, www.timelines.ws/
City Gates of St. Augustine
Photo by Yakin669 (2011)
