On November 19, 1493, Puerto Rico was found (not discovered, as there were already people living there, Columbus wasn't great about these things) by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to what he called the West Indies. He was attempting to find more land to colonize in the name of Spain, under the name of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
The native people called the island Borinquen, and Columbus renamed it San Juan Bautista. The island would later become a great trading port for the Spanish empire, and thus renamed Puerto Rico, meaning "rich port." Puerto Rico celebrates today with a national holiday, and a huge parade shows the spirit of the public today. The flag can be seen almost anywhere today, as people happily wave it in praise of their discovery. The holiday is also celebrated in the US, and Jennifer Lopez, who is of Puerto Rican descent, participates in the parade (pictured in New York).
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