Story Highlights
- Historical event
- 21 May 1502
- The area of St. Helena (Saint Helena) covers 122 square kilometers. The first Europeans discovered the uninhabited island on this day.
On this day in 1502, the Europeans discovered St. Helena Island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The island is famous as the last residence of Napoleon Bonaparte. The British captured Napoleon, and he was exiled to St. Helena in 1815. He died there in 1821.
João da Nova, an explorer at the service Portugal discovered the mentioned island, which was named after Saint Helena of Constantinople.
Her feast day as a saint is traditionally celebrated on May 21. The Europeans discovered the uninhabited island. Much of the island’s original forest disappeared due to the colonial settlement.
The area of St. Helena covers 122 square kilometers. The highest point on the island of St. Helen, at 818 meters, is Diana’s Peak. It is interesting to note that there is no airport, and construction of the first airport on St. Helena began in 2012.
