Fernando de Soto, met his earthly demise at around the age of 46, when he died from the effects of a fever in the American Indian village of Guachoya
☞Today in History -- On today’s date 481 years ago, Sunday, May 21, 1542, famous Spanish explorer & conquistador Hernando de Soto (circa-1496 - 1542), also spelled Fernando de Soto, met his earthly demise at around the age of 46 when he died from the effects of a fever in the American Indian village of Guachoya, at the present-day location of the town of McArthur in Desha County, Arkansas. ☞RequiΓ©scat in Pace, Hernando de Soto. ☞At the time of his demise, de Soto was leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the present-day United States. A vast undertaking, de Soto’s North-American expedition ranged throughout the southeastern region of the North American continent searching for gold, silver, & a passage to China. ☞Because de Soto had encouraged the local natives to believe that he was an immortal sun god as a ploy to gain their submission without conflict, his men made an effort to conceal his death. ☞The actual location of de Soto’s burial i...