Which Spanish explorer first landed on the California coast in 1542?

The Spanish explorer who first landed on the California coast in 1542 was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. Sailing for the Spanish Empire from New Spain, Cabrillo reached what is now San Diego Bay on 28 September 1542, the first European landing in Alta California.

Cabrillo commanded the ship San Salvador and led a small fleet north along the Pacific coast. The expedition was searching for the mythical Strait of Anián, believed to connect the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as opportunities for new territory and trade. Cabrillo named San Diego Bay San Miguel, after the feast day of Saint Michael.

The voyage continued past present-day Los Angeles, the Santa Barbara Channel, and Monterey Bay. Cabrillo’s expedition recorded encounters with Chumash communities and mapped stretches of coast that Europeans had not previously documented. The explorer died after suffering an injury on San Miguel Island in January 1543; his pilot, Bartolomé Ferrer, continued the return voyage.

A common mix-up is Cabrillo’s nationality. He was probably Portuguese-born, but he served the Spanish crown, which is why historical accounts commonly call him a Spanish explorer.