Pedro Álvares Cabral
~1467–~1520 · Portuguese (Belmonte) · Age of Discovery
Known for: Led the expedition that 'discovered' Brazil for Portugal in 1500, accidentally creating the largest Portuguese colony
Cabral was a young nobleman chosen to lead Portugal's second expedition to India following da Gama. While sailing a wide arc into the Atlantic to catch favorable winds, he sighted the Brazilian coast on April 22, 1500. Whether this was accidental or planned is still debated.
He claimed Brazil for Portugal and sent a ship back with the news, then continued to India where he established a trading post at Calicut. He lost four ships in storms, including one captained by Bartolomeu Dias. Brazil would become Portugal's most valuable colonial possession.
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