Historical Figure
Henry the Navigator
b. 1394
Portuguese prince and governor (1394–1460)
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Biography
Prince Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu, better known as Prince Henry the Navigator, was a Portuguese prince and a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and in the 15th-century European maritime exploration. Through his administrative direction, he is regarded as the main initiator of what would be known as the Age of Discovery. Henry was the third child of King John I of Portugal, who founded the House of Aviz.
Timeline
The story of Henry the Navigator, told in moments.
Fought at the siege of Ceuta in North Africa. His first taste of the wider world beyond Iberia. He saw the gold and spice trade flowing through Muslim ports and wanted to find the source.
Established a base at Sagres on the southwestern tip of Portugal. Gathered cartographers, astronomers, and ship designers. He never sailed on the major expeditions himself. He sent others.
His captain Gil Eanes sailed past Cape Bojador, the point on the African coast that sailors believed marked the edge of the navigable world. Nothing bad happened. Exploration accelerated.
Died at Sagres at 66. His expeditions had reached Sierra Leone. He didn't live to see the route to India. But every Portuguese ship that followed used the maps his men had drawn.
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