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Stobnica, John (Jan ze Stobnicy)
Geographer and astronomer. Professor of the Jagellonian University of Cracow (Krakow), Poland in XVI century, in 1512 wrote the book: "Introduction in Ptolomei Cosmographiam," in which he first discovered and mapped the west coast of America. Professor Robert McElroy, Ph.D., LL.D., in Putnam's Historical Atlas, 6th edition, published by G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York and London, 1927, in section V the United States, pages 58 and 59, under the title: the origin of the map of North America's Western Coastline, writes: "From the days of the Polish geographer Stobnica, whose map of 1512 joins North and South America... to Balboa's discovery of the Pacific in 1513, there is only a single year; but that year has caused much speculation among historians of geography. Did Stobnica know of the South Sea before Balboa? None has as yet been able to answer this question, with precision.' Stobnica died about 1530.

From: "Who's Who in Polish America" by Rev. Francis Bolek, Editor-in-Chief; Harbinger House, New York, 1943

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