On this day, 593 years ago, on January 15, 1432 (December 12, 1431 of the lunar calendar), King Alfonso V of Portugal was born. Alfonso V, King of Portugal of the Aviche Dynasty (reigned 1438 - 1481). Alfonso V was the son of Duarte I, King of Portugal, and was born in Sintra. He ascended the throne after the death of his father in 1438, but was regent by his mother Leonara of Aragon before coming of age in 1448. He was in power since 1448. In 1449, Alfonso V suppressed a rebellion launched by his uncle Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, who seized regent powers from Leonara in the final years of Alfonso's adulthood. From 1458 to 1471, Alfonso V fought the Moors (mainly Morocco) in North Africa. He seized vast tracts of land, including Ayekasar (1458), Casablanca (1463) and Tangier (1471). He earned the nickname "Afonso of Africa". In 1475, Alfonso V married Juana, daughter of King Juan II of Castile. King Alfonso V enthusiastically sponsored culture and public works. During his reign, Portugal continued the exploration of the west coast of Africa initiated by the navigator Henry.