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 Bartolomeu Dias
Born in 1450 and died in 1500. His epic discovery voyage
around the Cape of Good Hope took place in 1487-88. According
to the written accounts of this trip the crew suffered
considerable hardships, especially as they sailed around the
actual Cape. This feat opened the door to exploration of the
"New World".
Fernão de Magalhães
Born in the district of Trás-os-Montes in 1480. He
participated in 1505 in the invasion of India led by Dom
Francisco de Almeida. In 1511 he was in the campaign of
the taking of Malaca and three years later was wounded
in battle at Azamor, in Morocco. In was responsible
for discovering the Philippine Islands in 1521.
Gil
Eanes
The respected explorer Gil Eanes has been well remembered throughout
Portugal by having many streets and squares named after him. Unfortunately,
very little is recorded as to where and when he was born or died. He was a
household servant to Prince Henry the Navigator and in 1434 he sailed from
Lagos and was the first mariner of his time to sail past Cape Bojador. This
was considered as an amazing event because superstition held that from this
point the known world ended. It is popularly believed that Lagos was maybe
his town of birth and there is a plaque erected with the words " He opened
the old sea to modern man".
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Alvares Cabral was born c. 1468 and died c.1520
in Santarém. Commissioned in 1500 by King Manuel I he
departed on the 9th of March from Lisbon to lead an expedition
of 13 ships with the orders to establish trade with India by
sailing via the Cape of Good Hope. His fleet reached Brazil in
April of that year and gave this discovered land the name of
"Terra de Vera Cruz". He eventually reached
India at Calcutta in September of the same year having
lost only four of his ships in his long exhausting voyage.
Pedro Cabral sailed back to Portugal reaching Lisbon
with only four ships from his original fleet of 13. However,
each of these vessels were laden with eastern spices that
provided the beginnings of the most important wealthy period
in Portuguese history under the King Manuel I. It was from
the information gained from this epic voyage that the royal
prince "Henry the Navigator" was inspired to
organize many further expeditions and set up trading routes
for the economic benefit of his country.
Sacadura Cabral & Gago Coutinho
Artur de Sacadura Freire Cabral Júnior was born near
Guarda in 1881 Celorico de Bedira, and died in
1922. He made his career initially in the navy and then moved
into their Naval Air Force and later promoted to Director of
this Service. In 1921, together with his colleague Gago
Coutinha, they became the first aviators to successfully
travel non-stop across the South Atlantic from Lisbon
to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. On the 15th of December
in 1922 he disappeared whilst on a routine flight.
Vasco da Gama
Born in the coastal town of Sines in c.1468, died in
1524. He is possibly the most well known Portuguese explorer
from the "Age of Discoveries". In 1497 his
expedition sailed from the coast of Portugal in the São
Gabriel, the São Rafael, the Bérrio, and
a provision vessel, in an attempt to reach by sea the land
we know as India. In May of 1498 he landed at Calcutta
having successfully accomplished his mission but was met
initially with hostility from the local inhabitants. Upon
his safe return to Lisbon in August of 1499 he was
received with popular acclaim and was granted the title of
Conde de Vidigueira. In 1502 he again to India but
this time to establish a trading centre in the name of
Portugal. The town of Calcutta was sacked and the
inhabitants paid a heavy price for their previous attitude.
He then forged a trading agreement with the rulers of
Cochim and Cananor and filled his ships with
spices. After returning to his native soil to report to
the King he was granted the title of Viceroy of India. In
1524, after returning to take up his new post in Cochim,
he was taken ill and died within four months of his arrival
back in India.
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