a quintessential name in the history of brazil, dom pedro i was the first official ruler of the independent brazil.

born into the portuguese royal family, in 1798, pedro's early years were spent in lisbon, but moved to rio de janeiro, in 1807, after portugal was threatened with invasion.

dom pedro's defining accomplishment came in 1922, when he refused to return to his native portugal, and set brazil free from the portuguese empire, famously declaring, 'independence or death, we have separated from portugal.', and in doing so, becoming the first emperor of the independent empire of brazil.