Which Spaniard founded Manila in 1571?

The Spaniard who founded Manila as a Spanish colonial city in 1571 was Miguel López de Legazpi.

Legazpi led the Spanish expedition that established a permanent foothold in the Philippines. Spain first made Cebu its base in 1565, but Manila’s superb harbor and position near Asian trading routes made it a more important capital. Legazpi reached an agreement with local rulers and formally established the Spanish settlement on 24 June 1571.

The site was not an untouched wilderness: Maynila was already an established settlement and trading center before the Spanish arrival. Legazpi’s achievement was the creation of the Spanish colonial city and government there, including the fortified district later known as Intramuros. He proclaimed Manila the capital of the Philippines and Spain’s wider East Asian possessions.

Martín de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo had explored and fought in the Manila area before Legazpi arrived, so they are sometimes mentioned in accounts of the conquest. They were important subordinates, but Legazpi was the leader traditionally credited with Manila’s 1571 Spanish foundation. Andrés de Urdaneta, meanwhile, was chiefly associated with navigation and the Pacific return route.