Episode 1 of 2
Alternative Date Theory
- When
- May 3, 1502 (proposed)
- Where
- Saint Helena
Scholars propose May 3, 1502, as a more credible discovery date, avoiding a naming conflict with Cabral's earlier discovery.
A 2015 paper suggests the May 21 date is less credible. An alternative date of May 3, 1502, aligns with the Catholic feast of the True Cross. This date may have prevented da Nova from naming the island 'Ilha de Vera Cruz,' a name Cabral had already used for Brazil in 1500.
Sources
- João da Nova Wikipedia, revision of 2026-03-06
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.