Luís de Camões

Luís Vaz de Camões was born around 1524 or 1525 and spent his life working in verse — lyrical poetry, drama, and above all the epic that would outlast him. Os Lusíadas became his masterpiece, the work that fused his name to the Portuguese language itself. Another collection, The Parnasum of Luís de Camões, was lost during his lifetime. He died on 10 June 1580, a date now observed as Portugal's national day.