Punta Santa Elena (Port Royal Sound)

On August 18, 1526, a Spanish expedition led by Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón arrived on the coast of present-day South Carolina and Georgia, specifically exploring the area around Port Royal Sound, which they named Punta de Santa Elena (near modern-day Beaufort, SC). This expedition was part of an attempt to establish the first European settlement in what is now the continental United States. The expedition, consisting of six ships and roughly 600 people, arrived around the feast day of St. Helena (August 18), leading them to name the location Santa Elena.