Gago Coutinho

Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho ( born February 17, 1869 in Lisbon, † February 18, 1959 in Lisbon ) was an officer of the Navy, sailors and historians. He was born in Lisbon city Madragoa. As the largest merit him crossing the Südatlantikroute is credited with the aircraft. His report on the flight was, along with other documents to the flight, explained in 2010 for the World Soundtrack Awards.

In the service of the Portuguese Navy, he traveled the world. Among other things, he commanded the gunboat Patria, as it was used in the rebellion of Manufahi in Portuguese Timor. Coutinho finally reached the post of admiral. At the same time he drew attention to himself as a historian. He wrote several works on history and geography, mainly via the Portuguese voyages of discovery, such as " O Roteiro da Viagem de Vasco da Gama " and his version of " Lusíadas ", the national epic of Portugal.

From 1898, he wrote some geographical works of the Portuguese overseas territories, in the course of which he also toured Africa. Together with Sacadura Cabral in 1921 he flew the route Lisbon - Funchal, before he became world famous in 1922 with his partner by the two first the Südatlantikroute from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro flying.

The last years of his life were spent back in order to devote himself to the Portuguese seafaring history. His essays from that period are summarized in the book " Nautica dos Descobrimentos ".

He received several awards for his life's work and was revered in Portugal as sebastianischer Messiah, in a time when the national feeling of proud seafaring nation Portugal was hit hard.

Monument to Gago Coutinhos in Funchal