Juan De Bethencourt

Jean de Béthencourt (c. 1360 - 1422 ), was a Norman / French Explorer who, in 1402 , led an expedition to the Canary Islands , landing first on the north side of Lanzarote . From there, he conquered Fuerteventura and Hierro . Béthencourt received the title King of the Canary Islands but recognized King Henry III Of Castile , who had provided aid during the conquest, as his overlord.

Béthencourt set sail with some 53 men from La Rochelle on May 1 , 1402. After he reached Cádiz in Spain , and staying there for several weeks, most of his men deserted.

To this day, Betancourt and other forms of his surname are quite frequent among Canary Islander s and people of Canary Islander descent. Examples include former Colombian president Belisario Betancur , former Venezuelan president Rómulo Betancourt , and Hermano Pedro De San José De Betancurt , a Saint of the Catholic Church . Other modern notables in recent news are Venezuelan baseball player Rafael Betancourt , American musician Nuno Bettencourt , and Colombian - French activist/politician Ingrid Betancourt .

The city of Betancuria , on Fuerteventura, which he helped found, is named after Béthencourt.

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