Portuguese people from the Azores and mainland Portugal have a long and honored history in California. The first Europeans to land on the West Coast of the New World were Portuguese. Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho explored the coast in 1542 and claimed the land for the King of Spain. Nuno da Silva was the pilot for Sir Francis Drake when Drake claimed the land for England in 1579. Sabastiao Rodrigues Cermenho explored along the coastline that is now California in 1595. Portuguese were among California's early missionaries, whalers, fishermen, and gold seekers, and many later turned to farming in coastal valleys. In the 1880's, the number of Azorean Portuguese in California increased dramatically because farmland was less expensive, and many newcomers advanced from laborers to renters to tenant farmers to landowners. Portuguese were represented in the sheep industry and became prominent in dairying. Today, descendants are involved in all aspects of diversified farming in the San Joaquin Valley, and in the Central Valley John B. Avila successfully introduced sweet potatoes in the Merced area. The Portuguese contributed immensely to the discovery, exploration, settlement, economics, and cultural enrichment of California.