Born: 4 March 1394 · Died: 13 November 1460 · Age at death: 66
How old was Prince Henry the Navigator when he died?
Prince Henry the Navigator died aged 66. He was born on 4 March 1394 and died on 13 November 1460.
Portuguese prince who initiated the Age of Discovery
Did you know?Despite his famous moniker, he rarely participated in any of the sea voyages he funded and spent most of his life on land.
Quick facts
Date of birth4 March 1394
Date of death13 November 1460
Age at death66
NationalityPortuguese
BirthplacePorto, Portugal
Occupationmilitary officer, discoverer
Editor's Take:
Henry the Navigator earned his name from later historians rather than from his own voyages. He funded and organised expeditions that pushed Portuguese ships steadily south along the African coast. Each journey extended European knowledge of the Atlantic and its winds. His motives mixed crusading zeal, curiosity and the search for gold. The same voyages also opened the way for the Atlantic slave trade. Within a few decades of his death, Portuguese sailors had rounded the Cape of Good Hope.
Key Milestones
1415: Takes part in the conquest of Ceuta
1420: Becomes governor of the Order of Christ
1434: His captain Gil Eanes passes Cape Bojador
Prince Henry the Navigator (4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), was a Portuguese prince, a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese Empire and often credited as one of the main initiators of the Age of Discovery. Henry was the third child of King John I of Portugal, who founded the House of Aviz.
Prince Henry the Navigator's birthday is March 4. He was born on March 4, 1394 in Porto, Portugal.
How old was Prince Henry the Navigator when he died?
Prince Henry the Navigator died on November 13, 1460, aged 66.
Who shares a birthday with Prince Henry the Navigator?
Famous people who share Prince Henry the Navigator's March 4 birthday include Antonio Vivaldi, Miriam Makeba, François Fillon, Khaled Hosseini and Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
