Andrés de Urdaneta
The Reverend Andrés de Urdaneta OSA | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1508 |
| Died | 3 June 1568 (aged 59–60) |
| Occupations | Explorer, friar |
| Known for | Discoverer of the Kuroshio Current that allowed Eastward crossing of the Pacific |
| Signature | |
Andrés de Urdaneta, OSA (1508 – June 3, 1568) was a Basque maritime explorer for the Spanish Empire who later became an Augustinian friar.
At the age of 17, he formed part of the Loaísa expedition to the Spice Islands, where he spent more than eight years. Around 1540, he settled in New Spain and became an Augustinian friar in 1552. At the request of Philip II, he joined the Legazpi expedition to the Philippines. In 1565, Urdaneta discovered and plotted an easterly route across the Pacific Ocean, from the Philippines to Acapulco in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The route made it practical for Spain to colonize the Philippines and was used as the Manila galleon trade route for more than two hundred years.
Urdaneta played an important role in establishing the Catholic faith in the Philippines and was considered a "protector of the Indians" for his treatment of the Philippine natives.