History of Taiwan

First Europeans on Taiwan
First Europeans on Taiwan ©Image Attribution forthcoming. Image belongs to the respective owner(s).
1582 Jan 1

First Europeans on Taiwan

Tainan, Taiwan

Portuguese sailors, passing Taiwan in 1544, first jotted in a ship's log the name of the island Ilha Formosa, meaning "Beautiful Island". In 1582, the survivors of a Portuguese shipwreck spent ten weeks (45 days) battling malaria and aborigines before returning to Macau on a raft.

Last Updated: Sun Aug 21 2022

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