Portugal & West Africa

By jordnk
  • Period: Jul 25, 1139 to Oct 22, 1383

    House of Burgundy (Afonsine Dynasty)

  • Period: Jan 1, 1180 to Jan 1, 1440

    Pre-imperial era of Benin

    Exact dates not known.
  • Jan 1, 1341

    Portugal raids the Canary Islands

    Date not exact.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1342 to Jan 1, 1440

    Oba Uwaifiokun

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1366 to Jan 1, 1397

    Oba Egbeka

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Apr 1, 1383 to Oct 14, 1385

    Crisis of 1383-1385 (Interregnum)

  • Period: Apr 6, 1385 to

    House of Aziz (Joanine Dynasty)

    Exact end date not known.
  • Period: Apr 6, 1385 to Aug 14, 1433

    D. João I "the Good"

    John
  • Period: Mar 4, 1394 to Nov 13, 1460

    Infante Henrique of Portugal (lifespan)

    Life of Prince Henry the Navigator. He was never king.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1397 to Jan 1, 1434

    Oba Orobiru

    Exact dates not known.
  • Aug 21, 1415

    Portugal conquers Marinid city of Cueta, beginning the Portuguese Empire

    Cueta is a city in Northern Africa then under control of the Marinid Empire (Sunni Muslims).
  • Period: Aug 14, 1433 to Sep 9, 1438

    D. Duarte I "the Eloquent"

    Edward
  • Jan 1, 1434

    Gil Eanes crosses Cape Bojador

    Bojador posed a serious mental block for early Portuguese explorers. Rounding it was a major landmark for Portugal's maritime exploration. Date not exact.
  • Period: Sep 13, 1438 to Nov 11, 1477

    D. Afonso V "the African"

    Alphonso
  • Period: Jan 1, 1440 to

    Benin Empire ("Great Benin")

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1440 to Jan 1, 1473

    Oba Ewuare the Great

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1473 to Jan 1, 1475

    Oba Ezoti

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1475 to Jan 1, 1480

    Oba Olua

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Nov 11, 1477 to Nov 15, 1477

    D. João II "the Perfect Prince"

    John
  • Period: Nov 15, 1477 to Aug 28, 1481

    D. Afonso V "the African"

    Second part of reign, after interregnum in November 1477
  • Period: Jan 1, 1480 to Jan 1, 1504

    Oba Ozolua

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Aug 28, 1481 to Oct 25, 1495

    D. João II "the Perfect Prince"

    John
  • Jan 1, 1484

    Diogo Cão is the first European to see the Congo River

    Exact date not known.
  • Jan 1, 1485

    Portuguese arrive in Benin

    First contact. Date not exact.
  • Jan 1, 1491

    Bartolomeu Dias and his crew are the first Europeans to cross the Cape of Good Hope.

    Date not exact.
  • Jan 1, 1494

    Treaty of Tordesilhas is signed

    Administered by the Pope, between Spain and Portugal. Date not exact.
  • Period: Oct 25, 1495 to Dec 13, 1521

    D. Manuel I "the Afortunate"

    Emmanuel I
  • Jan 1, 1498

    Vasco de Gama finds a sea route to India

    Sails around Africa. Date not exact.
  • Jan 1, 1500

    D. Manuel I orders the conversion of expulsion of all Jews living in Portugal

    Date not exact. Some Jews became explorers because of this.
  • Apr 22, 1500

    Pedro Álvares "discovers" Brazil

  • Period: Jan 1, 1504 to Jan 1, 1547

    Oba Esigie

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Apr 19, 1506 to Apr 21, 1506

    Lisbon massacre

    Native Portuguese Catholics and foreign sailors murdered hundreds of people suspected of being Jewish.
  • Mar 12, 1514

    Embassy to Pope Leo X

    Led by Tristão da Cunha
  • Jan 1, 1517

    First Portuguese diplomatic mission to China

    Fernão Pires de Andrade and Tomé Pires were chosen by Manuel I of Portugal to sail to China to formally open relations between the Portuguese Empire and the Ming Dynasty during the reign of the Zhengde Emperor.
  • Period: Dec 13, 1521 to Jun 11, 1557

    D. João III "the Pious"

    John
  • Period: Jan 1, 1547 to Jan 1, 1580

    Oba Orhogbua

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Jun 11, 1557 to Aug 4, 1578

    D. Sebastião "the Desired Prince"

    Sebastian. The subject of the messianic "sebastianismo" folklore.
  • Jan 1, 1569

    Plague

    Plague in Portugal. 60,000 people die in Lisbon alone. Date not exact.
  • Jan 1, 1572

    First publication of Luís de Camões "Os Lusíadas"

    Date not exact.
  • Period: Aug 4, 1578 to Jan 31, 1580

    D. Henrique (II) "the Chaste"

    Henry (II)
  • Period: Jan 1, 1580 to

    Oba Ehengbuda

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: Jul 24, 1580 to

    D. António "the Determined"

    Anthony. Exact end date of reign not known.
  • Period: Apr 17, 1581 to

    House of Habsburg (Philippine Dynasty)

  • Period: Apr 17, 1581 to

    D. Filipe I "the Prudent"

    Philip
  • Jan 1, 1582

    Portugal switches to the Gregorian Calender

    Date not exact. Important note for dates prior to this.
  • Period: to

    D. Filipe II "the Pious"

    Philip
  • Period: to

    Oba Ohuan

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: to

    D. Filipe III "the Great/Oppressor"

    Philip.
  • Period: to

    House of Braganza (Brigantine Dynasty)

  • Period: to

    D. João IV "the Restorer"

    John

  • Portuguese retake Angola

    Date not exact. The Portuguese from Brazil under Salvador de Sá land in Angola, expel the Dutch and restore the African colony to Portugal.
  • Period: to

    Oba Ohenzae

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: to

    D. Afonso IV "the Victorious"

    Alphonso
  • Period: to

    D. Pedro II "the Pacifist"

    Peter
  • Period: to

    Oba Akenzae

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: to

    Oba Akengboi

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: to

    Oba Akenkbaye

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: to

    Oba Akengbedo

    Exact dates not known.
  • Period: to

    Oba Ore-Oghene

    Exact dates not known.

  • Drought disrupts Portuguese silk production

    Date not exact.

  • Gold discovered in São Paulo province of Brazil

    Date not exact. Within 3 years, Brazil is producing 50k ounces of gold per year (**note: how much were they producing prior to Sao Paulo discovery?)