City history
Discover the rhythmic history of Rio de Janeiro, from its origins as a Portuguese discovery to its era as the imperial capital of Brazil.
Chapter one
Earliest documented name
"River of January"
The name was bestowed by Portuguese explorers in 1502, who mistakenly believed the Guanabara Bay was the mouth of a large river.
River of January
Named by Portuguese explorers who misidentified the massive Guanabara Bay as a river mouth.
Chapter two
The Brazilian government officially ended the use of daylight saving time to reduce energy costs and administrative complexity.
Brazil began implementing more unified timekeeping standards to manage its vast territory and improve communication across time zones.
Chapter three
Portuguese explorers arrived at the bay and named the area Rio de Janeiro, thinking it was a river.
Rio de Janeiro officially replaced Salvador as the capital of the Portuguese colony, becoming a central political hub.
The Portuguese royal family fled to Rio, transforming the city into the seat of the Portuguese Empire.
The Observatório Nacional was established to improve astronomical observations and precise timekeeping within the Brazilian territory.