Countries / Latin America
7 notable historical events in Brazil, in chronological order.
From the 16th to the 19th century, an estimated 12.5 million enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas, with profound consequences for both continents.
A Portuguese fleet under Pedro Álvares Cabral reaches the coast of Brazil, beginning Portugal's claim to and colonization of the land.
Prince Regent Pedro declares Brazil's independence from Portugal by the Ipiranga brook and later becomes Emperor Pedro I.
Paraguay fights the Triple Alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in a war that devastates Paraguay and kills a large share of its population.
Princess Isabel signs the Golden Law (Lei Áurea), abolishing slavery in Brazil, the last country in the Americas to do so.
A military coup deposes Emperor Pedro II, ending the Empire of Brazil and establishing a republic.
Brasília, a newly planned city in the interior, officially replaces Rio de Janeiro as Brazil's capital.