Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro (1475 - July 8, 1538), El Adelantado, was a Spanish conquistador and a companion and rival of Francisco Pizarro. He was born at Aldea del Rey in Spain. According to another account, he was a foundling in the village from which he derived his name.In 1525 he joined Pizarro and Hernando de Luque at Panama in a scheme for the conquest of Peru. A dispute as to their respective territories later developed, and Pizarro defeated and captured Almagro at the Battle of the Salt Mines (near Cuzco) on April 6, 1538. Almagro was executed three months later. His men then turned against Pizarro and killed him in 1541.
Almargo is credited as the discoverer of Chile. After the conquest of Peru, Almagro was dissatisfied that the country had been given to Pizarro without a major role for him. After complaining, he got permission to conquer the region south of Peru. He made an epic journey starting in Cuzco, Peru to the country south of Peru. He led his men over the Andes mountain range, at the Latitude of the current city of Copiapo, at a great cost in life. Once on the other side, He continued south to the river of Aconcagua. There, under pressure from the hostile Mapuche indians he turned back north. On his voyage north he encountered the Atacama desert, where lack of water again took its toll. He never founded a city in the territory of (what is now) Chile.
Originally based on an article from 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.