Pedro Álvares Cabral

Timeline

1. c. 1467–1499Belmonte · PortugalBorn into a Portuguese noble family with close ties to the royal house, after Vasco da Gama's successful first voyage to India Portugal stepped up its eastern trade arrangements, and Cabral, as a trusted noble, was chosen to undertake a new expedition.
2. 1500Coast of Brazil (near present-day Porto Seguro) · BahiaDeparting Lisbon in March 1500 intending to follow da Gama's route to India, the fleet sailed southwest across the Atlantic and reached the east coast of South America, landing around 22 April and holding a ceremony of possession, naming the land they saw Terra da Vera Cruz, later known as Brazil.
3. 1500–1520Calicut · IndiaAfter leaving Brazil he continued east around the Cape of Good Hope, reaching Calicut in India, but trade negotiations failed and armed conflict broke out, with heavy losses to the fleet. After returning home Cabral never again led a major expedition, spent his later years in Portugal, and died in 1520.