1510 - Born in Salamanca, Spain. Spanish explorer of the North American Southwest whose expeditions resulted in the discovery of many physical landmarks, including the Grand Canyon, but failed to find the treasure-laden cities he sought.
1535 - Coronado went to New Spain (Mexico) with Antonio de Mendoza, the Spanish viceroy and earned early distinction in pacifying Indians.
1538 - He was appointed governor of Nueva Galicia.
1540 - The main force under Coronado left Compostela and proceeded up the west coast of Mexico to Culiacán. A smaller unit moved north from there and captured the Pueblos of Zuni,in July, but found no great wealth or treasure.
1541 - The force moved into Palo Duro Canyon in Texas. There Coronado left most of his men and proceeded north with 30 horsemen to another supposedly fabulously wealthy country, Quivira (Kansas), only to find a seminomadic Indian village and disillusionment again.
1542 - Coronado returned to Mexico, reported his disappointing findings to Mendoza, and resumed his governorship of Nueva Galicia.
1546 - An official inquiry, or residencia, normally called after an expedition, brought Coronado an indictment for his conduct; but the Mexican audiencia (a governing body in the Spanish colonies) found him innocent in February.
This riveting true story recounts the authors journey on horseback across Arizona and New Mexico, retracing Coronados desperate search for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. First published in...