Gil Eanes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gil Eanes
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| Born |
Lagos, Kingdom of Portugal
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| Nationality | Portuguese |
| Other names | Eannes, Gilianez |
| Occupation | Navigator and explorer |
| Known for | First person to sail beyond Cape Bojador |
Gil Eanes was a brave Portuguese explorer from the 1400s. He was a very important navigator who helped Portugal discover new sea routes.
Contents
About Gil Eanes
Gil Eanes was born in Lagos, Portugal, around 1395. We don't know much about his early life. He worked for Prince Henry the Navigator, a very important Portuguese prince who encouraged exploration. Gil Eanes was from Lagos, a city in southern Portugal, which was his starting point for many sea trips.
In 1433, Prince Henry asked Gil Eanes to lead a voyage. His mission was to sail past Cape Bojador. This cape, on the coast of Africa, was a scary place for sailors. People believed strange monsters lived there, or that the sea boiled. Because of these fears, no European sailor had ever gone past it.
Gil Eanes tried to round the Cape, but he couldn't do it on his first trip. Instead, his ship was pushed west towards the Canary Islands. He returned to Portugal with some local people he had captured. Prince Henry was not happy that Gil Eanes had failed to pass the Cape.
Sailing Beyond Cape Bojador
Gil Eanes wanted to try again and make Prince Henry proud. So, in 1434, he set sail once more. This time, he succeeded! His small ship, a caravel, sailed past Cape Bojador. He found that the waters were calm and safe. To prove his success, he brought back some wild roses from beyond the Cape.
This journey was a huge step for Portugal. It showed that the fears about Cape Bojador were not true. It opened up the way for Portuguese explorers to travel much further down the coast of Africa. This was the real start of Portugal's great Age of Discovery.
Further Explorations
In 1435, Gil Eanes went on another voyage with a navigator named Afonso Gonçalves Baldaia. They sailed about 144 to 240 kilometers (90 to 150 miles) south of Cape Bojador. They reached the African coast and found signs that people had been there, even though they didn't see anyone. They named a bay Angra dos Ruivos, which means Cove of Reds, because they caught many fish there that looked like gurnets.
Places Named After Gil Eanes
- A city square in his hometown of Lagos, Portugal, is named after him.
- An old school in Mindelo, Cape Verde, was once named Liceu Gil Eanes. It was known for having the best education in the area. Today, it is part of the University of Cape Verde.
- A Portuguese Navy ship, built in 1955, was also named after him.
See also
In Spanish: Gil Eanes para niños
