by Eric Dorfman
When Juan Ponce de León traveled from Spain to the New World in 1513, he was looking for immortality. Legend has it that he was looking for the fabled fountain of youth. During his journey he named the state of Florida and his quest catalyzed the name of the Florida town of Ponce de León, a host of statues and even a 140 year old tourist attraction called the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. It seems that in searching for eternal youth Ponce de León found a sort of immortality.
Read more on Carnegie Museum of Natural History Director Eric Dorfman’s blog.