Alvaro de Mendaña de Nehra

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Alvaro de Mendaña de Nehra

1541-1595

Spanish explorer who made discoveries in the South Pacific. As the nephew of the viceroy of Peru, in 1567 he was appointed commander of an expedition in search of the mythical great southern continent, terra australis. This expedition failed to find the southern continent, but did discover the Solomon Islands. In 1595 he was sent on a second expedition in search of terra australis but died at sea.

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