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Bartholomeu Dias

  • Interesting Facts and information about Bartholomeu Dias
  • Short Biography about the life of Bartholomeu Dias - Navigator and Explorer
  • Facts, Timeline and History of Bartholomeu Dias
  • Major voyages of discovery and exploration
  • Famous Explorer - Timeline and Biography

Biography, Timeline & Facts about the famous explorer, explorations & voyages in the Age of Exploration

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Bartholomeu Dias (aka Bartholomew Diaz)

Short Biography of the life of Bartholomeu Dias - Navigator and Explorer
The following biography information provides basic facts about the life Bartholomeu Dias:

  • Nationality - Portuguese
  • Lifespan - 1457 - 1500
  • Family - Noble Portuguese family
 
 
 
  • Career - Navigator and Explorer
  • Famous as : The first European to lead a 1487 voyage around the Cape of Good Hope on the Southern most tip of South Africa

Facts, Timeline & History about the life of Bartholomeu Dias -
Navigator and Explorer

The following are additional facts and a timeline about the life and history of Bartholomeu Dias.

 
  • 1457: Bartolomeu Dias was born in Portugal
  • Bartolomeu Dias came from a noble Portuguese family and his father attended the Portuguese court. It is believed that Dias came from a family of seamen and explorers including Joao Dias who sailed around Cape Bojador in 1434 and Diniz Dias who discovered the Cape Verde Islands
  • Bartolomeu Dias was well educated as befitted his status and would have been taught several languages, physics, geometry, mathematics and astronomy
  • He was a member of the royal Portuguese court and held the title of Sailing Master of the Portuguese man-of-war Sao Cristovao (San Christovao)
  • 1481: Bartolomeu Dias joined Diogo d'Azambuja to explore the Gold Coast of Africa
  • 1486: 10 October King John II of Portugal appoints Bartolomeu Dias leader of an expedition to sail around the southern most tip of Africa and make contact with a Christian ruler in the Indies called Prester John. Marco Polo and Vasco de Gamahad both informed the Portuguese court of the existence of Prester John, King of Ethiopia
 
 
  • 1487: August - Bartolomeu Dias embarked from the River Tagus below Lisbon on his voyage of exploration around Africa to the Indies with two armed caravels and one supply-ship, a square-rigger, which was commanded by his brother, Pero Dias
  • The voyage of exploration lasted sixteen months and the expedition route travelled as follows:
    • Sao Jorge de Mina, the Portuguese fortress on the Gold Coast to take on extra provisions
    • Sailed passed the coast of Angola
    • December 1487 they reached Golfo da Conceicão (Walvis Bay)
    • Sailed into Golfo de Santo Estevao (Elizabeth Bay)
    • January 1488 unknowingly the sailed through a terrible storm around the Cape of Good Hope which Diaz called called Cabo Tormentosa - the Cape of Storms
    • Sailed North to Bahia dos Vaqueiros (Mossel Bay) where they landed February 3 1488
    • Landed at Bahia da Roca (Algoa Bay)
    • 12 March 1488 west of Bushman's River mouth, they dropped anchor at a headland, called False Islet, now known as Kwaaihoek and decided to embark on their return journey home
  • 1488: December Bartolomeu Dias returned to Lisbon having opened up lucrative trading routes from Europe to Asia and with invaluable information for future Portuguese voyages of exploration
  • These Portuguese expeditions were headed by Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Pedro Alvares Cabral who all used the charts prepared by Bartolomeu Dias
  • 1497:  Dias accompanied the expedition led by Vasco da Gama to India
  • 1500 Dias accompanied Pedro Álvares Cabral on the voyage that resulted in the discovery of Brazil. This voyage mysteriously took a course to the New World and Cabral discovered Brazil - the expedition then turned back towards the south coast of Africa
  • 1500 May 24: Bartolomeu Dias dies in a violent storm in the Cape of Good Hope

Interesting Facts, Timeline and Information about Bartholomeu Dias
Some interesting facts and biography information about the History, Life & Times of Bartholomeu Dias

Famous Explorers - Bartholomeu Dias - Navigator and Explorer

 

Additional details, timelines, facts, history and information about the famous European Explorers and events in the great Age of Exploration and Elizabethan Times can be accessed via the Elizabethan Era Sitemap.

Bartholomeu Dias

  • Interesting Facts and information about Bartholomeu Dias
  • Short Biography and Timeline about the life of Bartholomeu Dias
  • Facts, Story and History about Bartholomeu Dias
  • Major voyages of discovery and exploration
  • Famous Explorer - Timeline, Story and Biography
  • Important accomplishments, dates and events in the life and history of Bartholomeu Dias
  • European Exploration
  • Famous European Explorers
 
 

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Bartholomeu Dias

 

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