- Early Life: Fray Marcos de Niza was a Franciscan friar and explorer of Spanish origin. He was born in Nice, France, around 1495.
- Exploration of the Americas: In 1539, de Niza accompanied Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition to explore the American Southwest in search of the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola.
- Journey to Cibola: Fray Marcos set out from Culiacán, Mexico, with a small group of companions and Native American guides. He traveled north into what is now Arizona and New Mexico.
- Discovery of Hawikuh: In 1539, de Niza reached the Zuñi pueblo of Hawikuh, which he described as a large city with "great stone houses." However, he exaggerated its size and wealth, calling it "Cibola."
- Return to Mexico: De Niza returned to Mexico and reported his findings to Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza. His glowing accounts generated excitement and sparked further expeditions in search of the riches he claimed to have seen.
- Coronado's Expedition: Coronado led a large expedition in 1540-1542 to verify the reports of Fray Marcos. However, they did not find the wealth de Niza had described, and the expedition proved unsuccessful.
- Later Life and Death: After returning from the expedition, Fray Marcos de Niza held various positions within the Franciscan order in Mexico and Peru. He died in Mexico in 1558.
Fray Marcos de Niza's exaggerated reports, although inaccurate, played a significant role in motivating Spanish exploration of the American Southwest and contributed to the development of the region's history.