Visual Timeline: Portuguese Empire

To navigate the timeline, click and drag it with your mouse, or click on the timeline overview on the bottom.

1400 CE 1500 CE 1600 CE 1700 CE 1800 CE 1900 CE  
 
1420 CE: The Portuguese colonize the Madeira archipelago.
 
1439 CE: The Portuguese colonize the Azores archipelago.
 
1462 CE: The Portuguese colonize the Cape Verde archipelago.
 
1486 CE: The Portuguese colonize the islands of São Tomé and Principe.
 
1494 CE: Portugal and Spain sign the Treaty of Tordesillas which divides the world into two spheres of influence.
 
 
1497 CE - 1499 CE: The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama sails around the Cape of Good Hope and on to India and back.
 
1498 CE: Vasco da Gama crosses the Indian Ocean for the first time by sailing from Malindi to Calicut, India.
 
1500 CE: The Portuguese mariner Pedro Álvares Cabral lands in Brazil.
 
1502 CE - 1503 CE: Vasco da Gama sails a 15-ship fleet from Portugal to Calicut, India.
 
 
1502 CE: The Portuguese establish the first trading station (feitoria) in Brazil north of Rio de Janeiro.
 
1503 CE: The Portuguese colonize Cochin in western India.
 
 
1505 CE - 1961 CE: The Estado da India is in existence, that part of the Portuguese Empire from East Africa to Japan.
 
 
1505 CE: The Portuguese begin to attack cities and build forts along the Swahili Coast in order to control trade.
 
1506 CE: The Portuguese coloinze Mozambique Island.
 
1510 CE - 1961 CE: Goa on the west coast of india is a Portuguese colony.
 
 
1510 CE: Afonso de Albuquerque conquers Goa in India for Portugal.
 
 
1511 CE: Afonso de Albuquerque captures Malacca in Malaysia for Portugal.
 
 
1511 CE - 1641 CE: Malacca in Malaysia is a Portuguese colony.
 
 
1515 CE: Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf is colonized by the Portuguese.
 
 
1518 CE: The Portuguese establish a fort at Colombo, Sri Lanka.
 
1519 CE - 1522 CE: Ferdinand Magellan's expedition circumnavigates the globe for the first time.
 
 
1519 CE: The Portuguese establish a fort at Kollam in India.
 
 
1521 CE: The Portuguese establish a fort at Chaul in India.
 
1524 CE: Vasco da Gama sails om his third voyage from Portugal to India.
 
1530 CE: Portuguese Goa replaces Cochin as the capital of the Estado da India.
 
 
1532 CE: The first Portuguese settlement in Brazil is founded at São Vicente.
 
 
1533 CE: A papal bull establishes the archdiocese of the Estado da India.
 
 
1533 CE - 1539 CE: The first sugar plantations are established in Portuguese Brazil at Pernambuco, Sâo Vicente and Rio.
 
1543 CE: Three Portuguese mariners accidentally land in Japan, the first Europeans to do so.
 
 
1546 CE: The Portuguese establish a formidable fortress on Mozambique Island.
 
1549 CE: Brazil is made a Crown colony of the Portuguese empire.
 
 
1560 CE: Portuguese Goa has it first archbishop appointed.
 
 
1567 CE: The French colony of France Antarctique in Guanabara Bay, Brazil is taken over by the Portuguese.
 
 
1571 CE - 1639 CE: The Portuguese control the port of Nagasaki in Japan.
 
 
1571 CE: The Japanese daimyo Omura Sumitada grants the Portuguese control of Nagasaki.
 
1571 CE: Foundation of the colony of Portuguese Angola.
 
 
1572 CE: The Portuguese Crown establishes a viceroy in Portuguese Brazil.
 
 
1575 CE: The Crown appoints a governor of Portuguese Angola.
 
 
1576 CE: Luanda on the coast of Portuguese Angola is founded. It will be the capital and a major hub of the Atlantic slave trade.
 
 
1596 CE: The Dutch arrive in Southeast Asia and challenge the Portuguese and their empire.
 
 
1603 CE: Dutch forces attack Portuguese Goa.
 
 
1604 CE: A Council of State is established at Portuguese Goa.
 
 
1610 CE: Dutch forces once again attack Portuguese Goa.
 
 
1616 CE: The Dutch attack Portuguese Malacca for the first time.
 
 
1621 CE: The Portuguese, with help from the Jaga, force the king of Ndongo to flee his kingdom in Portuguese Angola.
 
 
1622 CE: The Persians, with English assistance, take control of Hormuz from the Portuguese.
 
 
1624 CE: The Dutch capture Salvador in Portuguese Brazil.
 
 
1629 CE: The Dutch attack Portuguese Malacca for a second time.
 
 
1630 CE: The Dutch capture Olinda and Recife in Portuguese Brazil.
 
 
1632 CE: The Dutch capture Pernambuco in Portuguese Brazil.
 
 
1633 CE: The Portuguese conquer the southern African kingdom of Mutapa.
 
 
1637 CE - 1638 CE: The Shimabara Rebellion in Japan, which the shogunate blames on Christians, leading to an expulsion of all Europeans.
 
 
1638 CE - 1644 CE: Dutch forces attempt to blockade Portuguese Goa.
 
 
1640 CE - 1668 CE: Spain is at war with Portugal.
 
 
1641 CE: The Dutch attack and take over Portuguese Malacca.
 
 
1641 CE: A Dutch force takes over Luanda, capital of Portuguese Angola.
 
 
1648 CE: A military froce from Portuguese Brazil recaptures Luanda, the capital of Portuguese Angola, from Dutch control.
 
 
1654 CE: Portuguese Brazil regains control of those parts of the colony taken over by the Dutch.
 
 
1656 CE - 1663 CE: Dutch forces attempt to blockade Portuguese Goa for a second time. The blockade ends with a peace treaty.
 
 
1656 CE: The Dutch attack and take over Portuguese Colombo.
 
 
1663 CE: The Dutch attack and take over Portuguese Cochin.
 
 
1663 CE: A peace treaty is agreed between Portugal and the Netherlands regarding Portuguese Brazil.
 
 
1665 CE: An alliance of Angolan tribes and the Portuguese defeat the Kingdom of Kongo at the Battle of Mbwila.
 
 
1670 CE: A Portuguese force is defeated by the Kingdom of Kongo at Soyo.
 
 
1676 CE: The first bishop is appointed at Luanda, capital of Portuguese Angola.
 
 
1683 CE: A peace treaty is agreed between the Portuguese and the Matamba kingdom in Portuguese Angola. This ends the Angolan Wars.
 
 
1711 CE: French forces briefly take over Rio de Janeiro in Portuguese Brazil.
 
1755 CE: Amerindians in Portuguese Brazil are recognised as full and free subjects of the Portuguese Crown.
 
 
1763 CE: Rio de Janeiro is made sole capital of Portuguese Brazil.
 
 
1799 CE - 1815 CE: Portuguese Goa is occupied by the British during the Napoleonic Wars.
 
 
1808 CE: Fearing for its safety, the Portuguese monarchy relocates to Portuguese Brazil.
 
 
1822 CE: Brazil declares independence form Portugal.
 
 
1853 CE: Brazil porhibits the importation of slaves, ending the slave trade from Portuguese Angola.
 
 
1902 CE - 1915 CE: A series of rebellions within Portuguese Angola are put down.
 
1951 CE: Angola becomes an Overseas Province of Portugal.
 
 
1961 CE: Portuguese Goa is invaded by the Indian military.
 
 
1975 CE: Angola gains independence from Portugal.
 
 
1999 CE: Portuguese Macao is handed over to China.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1400 CE 1500 CE 1600 CE 1700 CE 1800 CE 1900 CE