Although most San Diego schoolchildren above fourth grade know the name Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, historians in general pay him scant attention. After all, he was just one of many who set out in the wake of Christopher Columbus, Hernán Cortés, and other explorers to chart new territory for Spain. When Cabrillo sailed with his two ships into San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542, he wasn’t eager to spend much time exploring. Profit and glory lured him northward; Cabrillo’s quest was to discover a northwest passage linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Still, he couldn’t help admiring the natural attributes of the bay he had happened upon. Its south-facing opening, between the Point Loma peninsula and Coronado, made a U-turn and traveled southward between the mainland and a narrow stretch of land to the west. Cabrillo noted that the bay was well situated to withstand both violent storms and seafaring intruders.