Section
People
Real people who changed the course of history, and what is fact or legend about them.
Pedro II: the emperor who lost his throne without a fight
On November 15, the proclamation of Brazil's Republic turns 137. The man it overthrew ruled Brazil for almost half a century, was respected abroad and chose not to fight to stay in power.
Mikhail Gorbachev: the reformer who did not want to end the Soviet Union
In December, the end of the Soviet Union turns 35. The last Soviet leader tried to save the country with reforms and ended up watching it fall apart. Russia and Ukraine still live with the consequences.
Nelson Mandela: 27 years in prison and the transition that avoided civil war
South Africa has been left out of the G20 in Miami, and the country's race debate is back in American politics. To understand why, go back to the man who negotiated the end of apartheid.
Baron of Rio Branco: the diplomat who closed Brazil's map
While Venezuela and Guyana fight over the Essequibo in The Hague, Brazil has almost no border disputes. Much of that is down to one man who preferred archives to cannons.
Santos Dumont: 120 years since the flight all of Paris saw
On November 12, 1906, a 33-year-old Brazilian flew 220 meters in front of a crowd. The dispute over who flew first started there and is still going.
Anita Garibaldi: the young woman from southern Brazil who fought on two continents
She was 18 when she boarded a warship. Ten years later, she died pregnant in Italy.