The Portuguese seek Prester John in Ethiopia
Europe finally reaches the realm of legendary Prester John
For centuries Europeans believed in a distant Christian kingdom of Prester John who would help them against the Muslims. In 1520 a Portuguese embassy landed at Massawa and spent six years at the court of Emperor Lebna Dengel; its chaplain Francisco Álvares described Ethiopia as Prester John's land.
Wikipedia (Russian) · Wikipedia (English) · 16th century
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For centuries Europeans searched for Prester John, a legendary Christian king — and concluded he ruled Ethiopia. A Portuguese embassy that arrived in 1520 stayed there six years. Share →
Meanwhile around the world (±25 years)
Whole world
- 1526–1867 Atlantic slave trade — 6 years later
Europe
- 1508–1512 Sistine Chapel ceiling — 12 years earlier
- 1517 Luther's Ninety-five Theses — 3 years earlier
- 1534 Henry VIII breaks with Rome — 14 years later
- 1543 Copernicus publishes heliocentrism — 23 years later
Eastern Europe & Russia
- 1526 Battle of Mohács — 6 years later
Middle East
- 1501 Founding of Safavid Iran — 19 years earlier
- 1520–1566 Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent — same year
Asia
- 1498 Vasco da Gama reaches India — 22 years earlier
- 1511 Portuguese capture of Malacca — 9 years earlier
- 1526 First Battle of Panipat — 6 years later
Americas
- 1519–1522 Magellan's circumnavigation — 1 year earlier
- 1521 Fall of Tenochtitlan — 1 year later
- 1532 Capture of Atahualpa at Cajamarca — 12 years later
- 1542 Orellana sails down the Amazon — 22 years later
- 1545–1548 Cocoliztli epidemic — 25 years later
Alive at the time
- Nicolaus Copernicus (aged 47)
- Michelangelo (aged 45)
- Martin Luther (aged 37)
- Moctezuma II (aged 54)
- Guru Nanak (aged 51)
- Vasco da Gama (aged 51)
- Selim I the Grim (aged 50)
- Vasily III (aged 41)
- Ferdinand Magellan (aged 40)
- Babur (aged 37)