History of Brazil

  • Apr 22, 1500

    Brazil is discovered

    Discovered by Pedro Alvares Cabral when he was on his way to India
  • 1532

    First Brazilian colonies are founded

    Colonies and governments began to form and officials began to be elected within them
  • Coffee is introduced to Brazil

    Coffee is one of Brazil's biggest exports and they are the largest producer of it in the world
  • Brazil declares independence from Portugal

    The son of a Portugese king declared the Brazil was free from Portugal and then declared himself the Emperor of Brazil
  • Brazil becomes a dictatorship

    Getulio Vargas begins to rule as a dictator and economy is placed under authoritarian state control.
  • President Vargas commits suicide

    After many revolts, Vargas was asked to resign as president since he was trying to create a dictatorship once again, and committed suicide.
  • President Ernesto Geisel introduces stricter reforms

    A former general comes into power and limits political freedom and elections in his own favor
  • Brazil halts payment of its foreign debt

    Brazil had one of the world's largest foreign debts and this halting of payments began the economic crisis
  • Brazil celebrates their 500th anniversary, but it is crashed by protesters

    During the celebrations, many indigenous people of Brazil came and protested the anniversary saying that the racial genocide that occurred to them when Brazil was found, and still today, has reduced their population by 93%.
  • Protests sweep the country

    Brazilian citizens took to the streets to protest poor public services, high transport costs, and the high expense of staging the 2014 world cup.