On April 2, 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León came ashore on the Florida coast near present-day St. Augustine and claimed the territory for the Spanish crown. He gave Florida its name, which means “full of flowers.” He named the peninsula — he believed it to be an island — “La Florida” because his discovery came during the time of the Easter feast, or La Pascua de la Florida. Legend has it that, based on information gleaned from natives, Ponce de León was searching for the Fountain of Youth, a fabled water source on the island of Bimini that was said to bring eternal youth.

Source: Politico.com

Use the above source link to see the entire story!

Expore A1A