What was Pedro Alvares Cabral famous for?

Answer 1

Pedro Alvares Cabral, was a Portuguese navigator who sailed to Brazil in 1500, and claimed it for Portugal. His voyage helped Portugal develop a large overseas empire in the 1500's.

Cabral was born near Covilha, Portugal. He was educated at the royal court and became a member of the King's Council. In 1499, King Manuel I appointed him commander to a fleet to carry on the work of Portuguese explorer Vasco Da Gama.

Finding Brazil was caused by bad weather, and Cabral's fleet sailed off course.

On April 22, 1500, the men sighted what is now southeastern Brazil. Cabral claimed the area for Portugal. The land lay within Portuguese territory as determined by the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494. Cabral had lost one ship, and another returned to Portugal, with news of the landing. The remaining ships stayed in Brazil for eight days and then continued the voyage to India (this was where they were first heading for, before being forced off course).

On May, 24, 1500, a storm scattered the fleet. Four of the vessels were lost, but one reached Madagascar. The other six ships met in at Mozambique and followed the African coast northward. The fleet crossed the Indian ocean and arrived in Calicut, India, on September, 13, 1500.

There, many crew members were killed in battle with a band of Arab merchants. Cabral's fleet sailed to the Indian towns of Cochin and Cannanore, where the ships were loaded with spices.

The fleet returned to Lisbon, on June 23, 1501. Manuel I considered Cabral for command of another expedition to India but chose Da Gama instead. Cabral then retired from royal service.