This day in history, historical events, historical figures, and historical places.
Historian José Manuel Sardica outlines the similarities between these elections and the 1986 presidential election, the only one decided in a second round.

Mário Crespo and Henrique Garcia recall the 1986 presidential elections, one of the most intense in the history of Portuguese democracy.

The most emblematic presidential election of 1986 was the only one in which a President of the Republic was elected in the second round. The race for Belém Palace began with four candidates but ended up pitting Mário Soares against Freitas do Amaral.

On Posto Emissor, Primitive Reason recalled their performance at the 1996 Super Bock Super Rock festival, held at the Passeio Marítimo de Alcântara in Lisbon, which was marked by David Bowie's second and final concert in Portugal — the same day a notorious Portugal v Czech Republic match diverted attention.

Veteran socialist Mário Soares was the President of the Republic elected with the highest vote share: he received 70.35% in the 1996 election.

There is a district in Portugal that appears to always predict the election winner. Journalist Sara de Melo Rocha examined a Pordata study and explains how the presidential results have unfolded since the first elections in 1976.

Profoundly humane and always in black and white, Italian neorealism produced genuine masterpieces.

It is the most complex of novels, the most frequently quoted and the most beloved, bound to Cervantes as an inseparable whole.

Ricardo Araújo Pereira makes a serious accusation against Luís Vaz de Camões and tries to justify it by presenting what he claims are pieces of evidence. He cites sonnets, vilancetes (short lyrical forms), endechas (laments) and esparsas (occasional poems). At the end he speaks with Carlos Maria Bobone and shows that it is possible to introduce, in an erudite conversation about Camões, the word “rabo” (literally “tail”, colloquially “arse”). On the celebrations of the prince of poets' birthday, recall this episode of Ricardo Araújo Pereira's podcast, “Coisa Que Não Edifica Nem Destrói”.

Francisco Simões was the sculptor of the statues at Parque dos Poetas in Oeiras, and the municipal council will honour him by naming an avenue in the municipality after him.


Al Jazeera English •