The designation of the remote Pacific territory stems directly from the circumstances of its European discovery. The island’s naming is linked to the date of its first recorded sighting by a European explorer.
This naming convention reflects a common historical practice among explorers: to mark significant discoveries by associating them with important dates on the Christian calendar. This provided a readily understandable and easily remembered reference point for maritime records and future navigation. The chosen name served to identify the island and cement the explorer’s claim to the discovery, contributing to the mapping and understanding of the world.
