Manuel I of Portugal

Hello! My name is Manuel, and I was the king of a beautiful country by the sea called Portugal. People often called me 'Manuel the Fortunate' because so many wonderful things happened for my country while I was king. My journey as king began on October 25th, 1495. I had a big dream. More than anything, I loved the ocean and wanted to discover what was on the other side of the big, blue water.

I decided to send brave sailors on amazing adventures across the high seas. In 1497, I asked a captain named Vasco da Gama to lead a very important trip. His mission was to be the first person to sail all the way from Portugal, go around the tip of Africa, and reach a faraway land called India. It was a long and sometimes scary journey, but in 1498, he made it. Just a couple of years later, in 1500, I sent another explorer named Pedro Álvares Cabral on a voyage. He sailed a different way and discovered a huge new land, which we now call Brazil.

These incredible voyages made Portugal one of the most important countries in the world during that time. Our sailors brought back wonderful treasures from their trips, like colorful spices for food and soft silks to make clothes. Because of this, we became so wealthy that we could build amazing castles and beautiful monasteries. We even created a special style of building that was named after me, the 'Manueline' style. It was decorated with beautiful carvings of things from the sea, like ropes, seashells, and anchors, to always remember our great adventures.

I lived to be 52 years old, and my time as king is often called a 'golden age' for Portugal. The discoveries my sailors made helped connect different parts of the world in a way that had never been done before. I am remembered as the king who opened up the seas and helped change the map of the world for everyone.