History: Biography news in Portugal

The educator of women who was called 'a man of genius'

Ribeiro Cristóvão: 'I went to Renascença twice a day looking for a job. The secretary would always say: "One day you will get in"'

From Proença-a-Nova to Angola, at 16 years old, alone on a passenger ship, and returning in 1975 with nothing. What was the life and career of António Ribeiro Cristóvão, the iconic Portuguese radio narrator, like?

João Abel Manta (1928-2026): a revolutionary drawing

With a unique style, and like no one else could, he translated the transition from dictatorship to democracy into drawing. He was a multidisciplinary artist with a career spanning over five decades. He died at the age of 98.

Farewell to the radio of Cândido Mota

One of the voices synonymous with radio in Portugal. Beyond the voice, the format. Cândido Mota was a pioneer of open-line radio programmes. He died at 82, leaving a legacy in communication in Portugal.

Orlando Jesus: “Boxing guided me towards the good”

From Ajuda to Parque Mayer, from titles to ruin in casinos, from the shots he took at night to the glory days in the ring. The struggle is portrayed in “Punch by Punch”, a documentary by Diogo Varela Silva.

Rediscovering António Ferro: genius or propagandist? (ep. 4)

António Ferro was an essayist and novelist. As a journalist, he interviewed Hitler and Mussolini, and reported from Hollywood, proving his cinephile streak. In 1933, Salazar entrusted him with promoting the image of the State. Once a cursed figure, he is now the subject of master's and doctoral theses. The fourth of six episodes of the narrative podcast 'António Ferro: genius or propagandist?' is now available. It is dedicated to the relationship between the journalist and Salazar. The text and interviews are by Leonídio Paulo Ferreira, with narration and sound design by Nuno Braga.

The incredible story of Gilles Bertin: a punk life, a millionaire heist, and a record store in Lisbon

Those who bought records at Torpedo did not know. Behind the counter was a punk vocalist who had participated in one of the biggest heists in French history. Gilles Bertin told everything in 'Thirty Years on the Run'.

“Perhaps I am read more by the people than by the false intellectuals”: Natália Correia, the unsubmissive, provocative, and free poet

In March 1970, the poet Natália Correia was given a suspended prison sentence for publishing the book “Anthology of Portuguese Satirical and Erotic Poetry”. She even considered defending herself in verse, as she did years later in the Assembly of the Republic with the famous poem she dedicated to CDS deputy João Morgado, when he argued that “the sexual act is for making children”. Natália Correia was like that: original, unsubmissive, provocative, and free, above all free. Discover her biography in this special podcast “Portraits of April”, originally released for the 50th anniversary of the Revolution in Portugal in 2024.

Book shows Mário Soares “mature and calm” in DN

After reading over 400 chronicles written by Mário Soares for the Diário de Notícias between 2008 and 2015, former archive director Jorge Morais has compiled 100 of these texts into a new book titled 'O Tempo e a Memória'. The collection highlights a mature Soares at 90, reflecting his wisdom and serene observation. The book, which avoids chronological order in favour of thematic grouping, serves as a testament to his experience and intellectual depth. During the launch, Isabel Soares emphasised the importance of preserving these memories against modern attempts to rewrite history.

Sábado magazine offers biography of Jorge Sampaio

The April 15th edition of Sábado magazine will offer readers the biography of 'the man who never wanted to be a hero, but was'.

Diogo Ramada Curto, the forthright historian

1959-2026: Full professor at FCSH-Nova and Director of the National Library of Portugal, he wrote dozens of books and articles; he was sincere and direct, sometimes controversial, but never boring.

Álvaro Cassuto, the conductor who believed in Portugal

1938-2026. Founder of the New Portuguese Philharmonic and the Portuguese Symphony Orchestra, he promoted works by Portuguese composers such as Joly Braga Santos.