History of Brasília, Brazil

Brasília was a project powered by the indefatigable will of one man. Plans to build a new capital in the centre of the country had been drawn up as early as 1822. But it took Juscelino Kubitschek, Brazil's self-proclaimed great modernizer, whose famous election winning catchphrase was “50 years in five”, to realize the dream. His capital was rushed through from start to finish within one term of presidential office. The blueprint was cleared by Congress in 1956. Work began the following year and by the time Eisenhower laid the cornerstone of the US embassy in February 1960, accompanied by a great media fanfare, the new capital was largely complete.