Luís de Camões | Timeline

Luís Vaz de Camões, sometimes rendered in English as Camoens or Camoëns c. 1524 or 1525 – 20 June [O.S. 10 June] 1580), is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of Shakespeare, Vondel, Homer, Virgil and Dante. He wrote a considerable amount of lyrical poetry and drama but is best remembered for his epic work Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads). His collection of poetry The Parnasum of Luís de Camões was lost in his lifetime. The influence of his masterpiece Os Lusíadas is so profound that Portuguese is called the "language of Camões".

January(?) 1(?), 1524 - Lisbon - Luís de Camões is born.

January(?) 1(?), 1531 - Coimbra - Travels to study at Coimbra, where his uncle was Chanceler.

January(?) 1(?), 1541 - Coimbra - Camões finishes his studies at Coimbra.

January(?) 1(?), 1542 - Lisbon - Camões goes to the Royal Court

January(?) 1(?), 1545 - Lisbon - End of his time in Royal Court

January(?) 1(?), 1547 - Ceuta - Departs to Ceuta (Today, coast of Morocco =(START)

April(?) 1(?), 1550 - Constância, Ribatejo - Camões is sent to a short exile for courting the King's sister.

January(?) 1(?), 1552 - Rossio, Lisbon - Camões is arrested for killing a Royal Stables official

March 7, 1553 - Lisbon - Released from jail by royal orders

March 24, 1553 - Lisbon - Departs to India in the fleet of Fernão Álvares Cabral

September 1(?), 1553 - Goa, India - Arrives in Goa and enlists on the service of Viceroy Dom* Afonso de Noronha
October 30(?), 1553 - Porcá Island, South of Cochin, Malabar - Participates in the expedition to the Island of Porcá against the King of Chembe.

February 1(?), 1554 - Goa, India - Participates on Dom Afonso de Noronha's military expedition - Battles against the turks.

March(?) 1(?), 1554 - Ormuz, Iran - Short stay in Ormuz

November 1(?), 1554 - Goa, India - Returns from the expedition

January(?) 1(?), 1556 - Goa, India - Camões is arrested in Goa

January(?) 1(?), 1561 - Goa, India - Camões is arrested a second time in Goa

January(?) 1(?), 1562 - Macau, China - Appointed "High Provider of the Deceased and Absent". His function was to collect, manage and know all the causes regarding the goods of the deceased and absent which didn't name any prosecutors in their wills.

January(?) 1(?), 1565 - Mekong River Mouth, Cambodja - While writing the epic poem "Os Lusíadas", Camões is shipwrecked on the way to Goa. Manages to save the manuscript of "Os Lusíadas" by swimming with one hand to shore and holding the manuscript out of the water.

December 1(?), 1567 - Malacca, Malaysia - Embarks on a ship to Sofala and Island of Mozambique 

November 1(?), 1569 - Island of Mozambique - Departs to Lisbon

April 7, 1570 - Cascais - Arrival of Camões to Portugal

June 10, 1580 - Lisbon - Luís de Camões dies at 56 in Lisbon =(END) 

(*) Dom, a title today almost extinct due to the implementation of the Republic in Portugal in 1910, is similar to the "Sir" title in Britain.