5th Portuguese India Armada (Albuquerque, 1503) Cape Verde, the first squadron of Afonso de Albuquerque struck out into the south Atlantic, following the South Atlantic Gyre. Along the way, Albuquerque came across Ascension Island. Although the island had already been discovered back in 1501 by the Third Armada of João da Nova (and named "ilha da Conceição" then), Albuquerque renamed it "ilha da Ascensão" on account of it being Ascension Day (May 21), the name that has since stuck. Strong south-westerly winds pushed them towards the coast of Brazil, where Albuquerque made a brief stop to take on water (exactly where is uncertain), before making his
João Afonso de Albuquerque I of Castile, who is suspected of having him poisoned in 1354. His father, Afonso Sanches, was the firstborn and favorite son of King Dinis I of Portugal who had him out of wedlock with Aldonza Rodrigues Telha. Teresa Martins de Meneses, his mother, was the daughter of João Afonso Telo, the first count of Barcelos, and of Teresa Sánchez, an illegitimate daughter of Sancho IV the Brave, king of Castile and León. Teresa survived her husband by almost twenty years. João Afonso de Albuquerque was raised in Lisbon at the house of João Simão de Urrô who in 1314