Pedro Afonso (1848–1850) was the Prince Imperial and heir apparent to the throne of the Empire of Brazil. Born at the Palace of São Cristóvão in Rio de Janeiro, he was the second son and youngest child of Emperor Pedro II and Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of the House of Braganza. His aunt was the reigning Queen of Portugal, Dona Maria II. Pedro Afonso was seen as vital to the future viability of the monarchy, which had been put in jeopardy by the death of his older brother Afonso almost three years earlier. Pedro Afonso's early death from fever at the age of one devastated the Emperor, and the imperial couple had no further children. Pedro Afonso's older sister Isabel became heiress, but Pedro II was unconvinced that a woman could ever be accepted as monarch by the ruling elite. He excluded Isabel from matters of state, and failed to provide training for her possible role as empress. With no surviving male children, the Emperor started to believe that the imperial line was destined to end with his own death.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Afonso,_Prince_Imperial_of_Brazil
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1553:
Lady Jane Grey was replaced by Mary I as Queen of England after holding that title for just nine days. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_I_of_England
1843:
SS Great Britain, the first ocean-going ship that had both an iron hull and a screw propeller, launched from Bristol, UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Great_Britain
1903:
French cyclist Maurice Garin won the first Tour de France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1903_Tour_de_France
1916:
First World War: "The worst 24 hours in Australia's entire history" occurred when Australian forces suffered heavy losses in their unsuccessful assault on the Germans at the Battle of Fromelles in France. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fromelles
1981:
French President François Mitterrand privately revealed to US President Ronald Reagan documents showing that the Soviets had been stealing American technological research and development. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farewell_Dossier
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
awkward: 1. Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments. 2. Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing. 3. Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction. 4. Perverse; adverse; difficult to handle. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/awkward
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
You must aim high, not in what you are going to do at some future date, but in what you are going to make yourself do to-day. Otherwise, working is just a waste of time. --Edgar Degas https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edgar_Degas
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