Explorer Biography
In 1474, Francisco Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Spain. His parents, Captain Gonzalo Pizarro and Francisca Gonzalez, were poor. While growing up, he never learned to read. He and Alonzo de Ojeda set out on a voyage to Uraba, Colombia in 1510. Pizarro accompanied Vasco Nunez de Balboa in his journey to the “South Sea” in 1513. He helped Balboa discover the Pacific Ocean. After Francisco arrested Balboa under Pedro Arias de Avila’s orders, he stayed in Panama for some time. Pizarro was made mayor and accumulated a small fortune during his time in Panama. Diego de Almagro, Fernando de Luque, and Pizarro teamed up in 1524 and set out on a series of three expeditions. The team of three were told to abandon the expedition. After the second expedition, Francisco Pizarro returned to Spain in 1528 to ask for permission from Charles V to conquer. Pizarro became the governor of New Castile in July 1529. He, accompanied with his four brothers, returned to Panama in 1530 and sailed to Peru in 1531. Pizarro forced Christianity upon Atahualpa and forced him to accept Charles V as his leader. Atahualpa threw the bible brought to him to the ground, which led to his capture. The Inca leader Atahualpa was overthrown and Peru was conquered by Pizarro and his brothers in 1532. In 1533, Pizarro killed Atahualpa. The new capital city of Lima was founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, three years after he conquered Peru. The Pizarro brothers were engaged in the Battle of Las Salinas by Diego Almagro. After Almagro was executed in 1541, Francisco Pizarro was assassinated by Almagro’s defeated party, who were seeking revenge, on June 26 of the same year.