Portugal, Kingdom of / Dom João I (King João)

John I (Portuguese: João) was King of Portugal and the Algarve in 1385-1433. He was referred to as "the Good" (sometimes "the Great") or "of Happy Memory" in Portugal. More rarely, and especially in Spain, he was sometimes referred to as "the Bastard". He is recognized chiefly for his role in preserving the independence of the Kingdom of Portugal from the Kingdom of Castile. As part of his efforts to acquire Portuguese territories in Africa, he became the first king of Portugal to use the title "Lord of Ceuta".