January 20: The Portuguese army defeated the French at the Battle of Rio de Janeiro in 1567 and expelled them from Brazil.

Estacio de Sá (1520-1567), also known as Mem de Sá was a soldier and officer of the Portuguese army at the time of the conquest of Brazil. He became Governor-General of Portuguese colony of Brazil.

Map of France Antarctique in the Guanabara Bay, 1555.

The French had established themselves at Gunabara Bay in Rio de Janeiro. They named the place as French Antartic in order to establish a French colony there.The French commander who led the colonists was Nicolas Durand de Villegaignon.

Recent map of the State of Rio de Janeiro

Mem de Sá was sent back to Brazil, as commander of the Portuguese troops to shed off the French colonizers from Rio de Janeiro. In fact, the Portuguese, in far smaller numbers, managed to defeat the French and make them run to the jungle. The French town was then burnt by Mem de Sá, the Portuguese governor.

Sá won the battle; however, he was hit by an arrow pierced his eye and sent him to the grave, one month after winning the Battle of Guanabara, also known as the Battle of Rio de Janeiro, from January 20, 1567.