c. 1490-c. 1546

Spanish soldier who became the first European to explore the Amazon River. Orellana, who served with Francisco Pizarro (c. 1475-1541) during the latter's conquest of Peru in 1535, in 1541 led the advance party for an expedition under Pizarro's half-brother Gonzalo (1502?-1548) to explore regions east of what is now Ecuador. He ended up drifting down the Amazon with 50 soldiers, and after reaching the mouth of the river (1542) and returning to Spain, told stories of attacks by armed women. The latter he compared to the Amazons of Greek mythology—hence the river's name. A second expedition to the region was a monstrous failure, and Orellana drowned as his ship attempted to enter the mouth of the river.