Henry the Navigator

Henry the Navigator (1394-1460), prince of Portugal, noted as the patron of navigation and exploration, born in Oporto. He was the third son of John I, king of Portugal. Henry participated in the capture of Ceuta in North Africa from the Moors in 1415. Subsequently he made his residence at Sagres, Portugal, near Cape Saint Vincent, and there established an observatory and the first school for navigators in Europe. Henry also made improvements in the art of shipbuilding. The caravel, a sailing ship, was designed at Sagres. He made no voyages himself, but under his direction many important expeditions were undertaken along the west coast of Africa. Henry's navigators reached Madeira in 1420, sailed around Cape Bojador in 1434, sailed to Cape Blanc in 1441, rounded Cap Vert in 1445, and reached the mouth of the Gambia River in present-day Gambia about 1446.