Lopes Gonçalves facts for kids

Lopes Gonçalves (sometimes spelled Lopo Gonçalves) was a brave Portuguese sailor and explorer. He made history by being the first European to cross the equator. This imaginary line divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. He also explored a lot of the African coast, reaching places like Gabon.

Exploring the African Coast

In the years 1473 or 1474, Lopes Gonçalves set out on an important journey. He sailed along the coast of Nigeria with another explorer named Rui de Sequeira. Their goal was to push Portuguese exploration further east.

Reaching New Lands

Gonçalves and Sequeira reached a point where the African coastline turned sharply to the south. Gonçalves decided to follow this new direction. He sailed south, eventually crossing the equator. This was a huge achievement for European sailors at the time!

He continued his journey, passing a place now known as Cape Lopez in Gabon. This cape was actually named after him! He kept going until he reached Cape St. Catherine, which is about 2 degrees south of the equator. His voyages greatly expanded the known world for Europeans.