Bio

Francisco Pizarro was born in Trujillo, Spain around 1475, though the exact date is not known.He was born into a poor family, the illegitimate son of a former colonel. His father was Gonzalo Pizarro Rodríguez de Aguilar and his mother was Francisca González Mateos.Pizarro was illiterate and spent most of his time tending pigs. Not much else is known about Pizarro’s early life, most likely due to his obscurity.His relation to his father made him the distant cousin of famed Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes.During his teenage years, Pizarro found his way in to the Spanish army, though he had not received much of a formal education to accompany his new post.In 1502 Pizarro joined the military detachment for the Governor of Hispaniola, crossing the Atlantic and arriving in the New World for the first time.In 1510, he joined Vasco de Balboa’s expedition to Columbia and was part of the crew when Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513. On this mission in particular Pizarro gained most of his military experience. Afterwards he became a wealthy landowner in Panama, rising to the position of Mayor of Panama City. Pizarro was not satisfied with his post, however.He heard stories of vast riches that still lay untouched to the south of Panama, in modern day South America. This is were his explorations started. Pizarro’s partner Diego De Almargo captured and killed Pizarro in June 26, 1541.