João Vaz Corte-Real
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João Vaz Corte-Real (Portuguese pronunciation: [ʒuˈɐ̃ũ vaʃ ˈkoɾt(ɨ) ʁiˈaɫ]; died 1496) was a Portuguese explorer.
In 1474, he was granted lands on Terceira Island in the Azores because he had discovered Terra Nova do Bacalhau (literally, New Land of the Codfish). There is speculation that this otherwise-unidentified isle was Newfoundland. If this is so, Corte-Real came to America about twenty years before Columbus. The plausibility of such a voyage is not questioned, but because of a lack of corroborating evidence, the discovery remains speculative. Off the northeastern tip of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, there is an island called Baccalieu Island.
Corte-Real was the father of Miguel and Gaspar Corte-Real, who some claim accompanied him on his voyage. Fragmentary evidence suggests the expedition was a joint venture between the kings of Portugal and Denmark, and that Corte-Real was accompanied by the German sailors, Didrik Pining and Hans Pothorst, as well as (the possibly mythical) John Scolvus.
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