A Spanish navigator discovered the islands in 1574 that later inspired Robinson Crusoe
A Spanish navigator's 1574 discovery of a remote Pacific archipelago provided the real-life setting for the world's most famous survival story, later immortalized in the novel Robinson Crusoe.
While sailing between Peru and Chile in 1574, Juan Fernández discovered a volcanic island chain that now bears his name. These isolated islands became a frequent stop for sailors, but their most famous resident arrived over a century later.
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