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Cristóbal de Olid

1487 – 1524

Spanish conquistador

ConquistadorMilitary personnel
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About Cristóbal de Olid

Lived 1487 – 1524 (aged 36–37). Cristóbal de Olid was a conquistador and military personnel.

Cristóbal de Olid (; 1487–1524) was a Spanish adventurer, conquistador and rebel who played a part in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and present-day Honduras. Olid leads the conquest of Jal-ixco (Jalisco), 1522. From Lienzo de Tlaxcala Born in Baeza, Olid grew up in the household of the governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. In 1518 Velázquez sent Olid to relieve Juan de Grijalva, but en route, a hurricane caused the loss of Olid's anchors, and he returned to Cuba. On January 10, 1519, Olid sailed with Hernán Cortés's fleet, as his quartermaster, and took an active part in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. He fought at the Battle of Otumba on 14 July 1520,

In 1523, Cortés made Olid the leader of an expedition to conquer Honduras, but while resupplying in Havana, Olid (at a suggestion by Velázquez) declared his independence from New Spain and set out to conquer Honduras for himself. Landing east of Puerto Caballos, he founded the settlement of Triunfo de la Cruz. Many of Olid's supporters moved to Naco, where there was good agricultural land and gold. When Cortés learnt of Olid's rebellion, he sent Francisco de Las Casas against Olid with two warships. Even though both these ships were destroyed in a storm and many of his soldiers defected to Olid, Las Casas defeated Olid in battle and captured him.

Accounts of how Olid died vary; Bernal Díaz del Castillo asserts in his Verdadera Historia de la Conquista de Nueva España that Las Casas had him beheaded at Naco, while Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas wrote that Olid's soldiers rose against and then murdered him.

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Important facts

Born
1487, Linares
Birth century
Died
1524, Naco
Occupation
Conquistador, military personnel
Nationality
Castile
Also known as
Cristobal de Olid

People in Cristóbal de Olid's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Cristóbal de Olid's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Cristóbal de Olid?

Spanish conquistador

When was Cristóbal de Olid born?

Cristóbal de Olid was born in 1487 in Linares.

When did Cristóbal de Olid die?

Cristóbal de Olid died in 1524 in Naco.

What was Cristóbal de Olid's occupation?

Cristóbal de Olid was a conquistador and military personnel.

What nationality was Cristóbal de Olid?

Cristóbal de Olid's recorded nationality: Castile.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Cristóbal de Olid

· Wikidata: Q550491

· DBpedia: Cristóbal de Olid

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Cristóbal de Olid. https://biography.guide/cristobal-de-olid/

MLA: "Cristóbal de Olid." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/cristobal-de-olid/.

Chicago: "Cristóbal de Olid." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/cristobal-de-olid/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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