June 12

Born in 1465, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar took part in Columbus’s second voyage to the New World. He led the conquest and organization of settlements in Cuba and became its first governor. He founded several towns including Baracoa and Santiago de Cuba, laying the groundwork for Spanish Cuba. Velázquez de Cuéllar also played a key role in expeditions to the mainland, influencing future expeditions. He oversaw the island’s administration until his death in 1524, shaping early colonial society.

Marc-Joseph Marion du Fresne (1724–1772) was a French navigator and explorer known for his voyages in the southern seas. In 1772, he led an expedition aboard the ships Mascarin and Marquis de Castries, charting islands in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific. He made one of the earliest European contacts with New Zealand and Tasmania. His pioneering maps and journal contributed to European knowledge of those regions. Tragically, he was killed in a conflict with Māori in New Zealand, ending his promising career.