Pedro Álvares Cabral | Timeline

Pedro Álvares Cabral (c. 1467  – c. 1520) was a portuguese nobleman, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are unclear, it is known that he came from a minor noble family and received a good education. He was appointed to head an expedition to India in 1500, following Vasco da Gama's newly opened route around Africa. The object of the undertaking was to return with valuable spices and to establish trade relations in India—bypassing the monopoly on the spice trade then in the hands of Arab, Turkish and Italian merchants. Although the previous expedition of Vasco da Gama to India, on its sea route, recorded signs of land west of the southern Atlantic Ocean (in 1497), Cabral is regarded as the first captain who ever touched four continents, leading the first expedition that united Europe, Africa, America, and Asia. (Intro from Wikipedia)

January(?) 1(?), 1467 – Belmonte, Portugal – Pedro Álvares Cabral is born
January(?) 1(?), 1479 – Torres Vedras(?) – Pedro is sent to the Court of Afonso V
June 30, 1484 – Santarém(?) – Cabral is named “Moço Fidalgo”, roughly “young gentleman”, a noble.
April 12, 1497 – Lisbon(?) – Cabral receives an annual subsidy from King Manuel I
February 15, 1500 – Lisbon(?) – Cabral is appointed High-Captain (Capitão-Mor) of an expedition to India =(START)
March 9, 1500 – Restelo, Lisbon – Pedro Álvares Cabral sails to India, with a fleet of 13 ships. Pêro Vaz de Caminha embarks as the armada's clerk
March 14, 1500 – Off Great Canaria, Canary Islands - The fleet sails off Gran Canaria
March 22, 1500 – São Nicolau Island, Cape Verde – Arrival in Cape Verde
April 9, 1500 – Line of the Equator – The fleet crosses the line of the Equator and changes course to the “Turn of the Sea”, a sailing technique discovered in successfully returning from the Atlantic islands, where the pilot first had to sail far to the west — counter-intuitively, in the wrong direction, that is, farther from Portugal — in order to catch usable following winds, and return to Europe
April 22, 1500 – Santa Cruz Cabrália, Bahia – Brazil – Pedro Álvares Cabral’s fleet arrives in Brazil. It was the official discovery of South America, although it is believed that the Portuguese knew about the existence of Brazil since the 1480’s. Duarte Pacheco Pereira also cruised the coast of Maranhão (north Brazil) in 1498, having described it on his ship log
April 24, 1500 – Porto Seguro – The fleet sails another 35 nautical miles south until a “secure port” is found.
April 26, 1500 – Porto Seguro – As more and more natives appear, an altar is built and a Mass is celebrated

May 1, 1500 – Porto Seguro – A second Mass is celebrated, the new land is baptized as “Vera Cruz”, then Cabral weighs anchor for the south. Pêro Vaz de Caminha writes a letter to King Manuel describing the voyage and the discovery of the "New World"

May 5, 1500 – Coast of Bahia – After 4 days sailing with the coast in sight, the fleet changes course and sails towards India

May 29, 1500 – Off Cape of Good Hope – Violent storm off the Cape of Good Hope. 4 ships are lost, incluiding the one commanded by Bartolomeu Dias, the first European to reach the Cape, in 1488.

June 16, 1500 – Primeiras Islands, SW Angoche, Mozambique – Arrival to Primeiras Islands. A ship is captured but later is allowed to proceed its course

June 22, 1500 – Island of Mozambique – Arrival to the Island of Mozambique, where Cabral is welcomed, contrary to Vasco da Gama in 1498.

July 26, 1500 - Quiloa (Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania) – The fleet stops at Quiloa

August 2, 1500 – Melinde (Mailindi), Kenya – Avoiding Mombasa, Cabral lands in Melinde. Friendly relations are established.

August 7, 1500 - Melinde (Mailindi), Kenya – Departure to India with 2 gujarati pilots aboard

August 22, 1500 – Angediva Island – Cabral lands to rest and recover, aswell as to repair and repaint the ships

September 13, 1500 – Calicut – Arrival in Calicut

September 16, 1500 – Calicut – The Portuguese factory/trading post is attacked. Pêro Vaz de Caminha, the knight who accompanied Cabral as a secretary to the royal factory (and writer of the official report of the discovery of Brazil) is killed. In reprisal, Cabral attacks 10 ships in the port

December 24, 1500 – Cochin – Cabral lands in Cochin, where he celebrates an alliance

January 16, 1501 – Kannur (Cananor) – Cabral departs from Kannur to Portugal
January 30, 1501 – Between India and Africa – Cabral captures a ship with an extremely rich cargo
February(?) 7(?), 1501 – Off Melinde – One of the ships runs aground and has to be burned (speculative date)
March(?) 21(?), 1501 – Island of Mozambique – Arrival to the Island of Mozambique
April(?) 1(?), 1501 – Island of Mozambique – Cabral sets sail to Portugal
May 22, 1501 – Cape of Good Hope – Cabral rounds the Cape of Good Hope
June 2, 1501 – Bezeguiche Bay, Dakar – Cabral reaches Bezeguiche Bay and finds the ships of Nicolau Coelho and Amerigo Vespucci
July 21, 1501 – Lisbon – Pedro Álvares Cabral returns to Lisbon
March(?) 15(?), 1503 - Santarém(?) – Marries D. Isabel de Castro (D. for “Dona”, a Portuguese equivalent to “Dame”). This marriage happened between February 18th and April 6th, so that D.Isabel's uncle, Afonso de Albuquerque, could attend the ceremony before departing to India
1504 - Álvares Cabral's first son, Fernão Álvares Cabral, is born
January(?) 1(?), 1509 – Santarém – Cabral withdraws to Santarém with tremors, probably Malaria
February 18, 1509 - Santarém - From Évora, King Manuel I sends a letter to Álvares Cabral, already settled in Santarém
December 10, 1514 - (While in Santarém) - From Calicut, India, Afonso de Albuquerque asks King Manuel to pardon Pedro Álvares Cabral, but is refused
January(?) 1(?), 1518 – Santarém – Cabral is promoted to Knight of the King’s Council
January(?) 1(?), 1520 – Santarém – Pedro Álvares Cabral dies, aged 53 =(END)

Bibliography:
GARCIA, José Manuel, Pedro Álvares Cabral e a primeira viagem aos quatro cantos do mundo, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 2001 (ISBN 972-42-2479-1).
GARCIA, José Manuel - "O Terrível - A grande Biografia de Afonso de Albuquerque", 2017
LEONE, Metzner - Pedro Álvares Cabral, Lisboa, Editorial Aster, 1968.
PERES, Damião - "História de Portugal, vol.III. 1921