Brasilia is Brazil's purpose-built federal capital, inaugurated on the central plateau by President Juscelino Kubitschek, who had promised rapid progress during his term. The idea of moving the capital inland, away from Rio de Janeiro on the coast, had long been written into Brazilian constitutions as a way to develop the interior. The city was laid out by the urban planner Lucio Costa in a shape often compared to an aeroplane or a bird, and its public buildings were designed by Oscar Niemeyer, in a bold modernist style. It was built in just a few years. Brasilia was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 and is one of the world's most famous planned cities.
Before and after
- 21 March 1960Birth of Ayrton Senna
- 21 March 1960Sharpeville massacre
- 19 April 1960April Revolution
- 20 April 1960Birth of Miguel Díaz-Canel
- 21 April 1960Founding of Brasília
- 1 May 19601960 U-2 incident spy aircraft
- 9 May 1960The contraceptive pill is approved in the United States
- 16 May 1960Laser
- 21 May 19601960 Valdivia earthquake
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 10 July 1973Founding of The Bahamas
- 1974Founding of Grenada
- 1975Founding of Papua New Guinea
- 1978Founding of Solomon Islands
- 1 October 1978Founding of Tuvalu
- 1 November 1981Founding of Antigua and Barbuda
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.