Goiania History, Brazil

Goiania History – Initial City Plans

The city of Goiania has a very special history when compared to the rest of Brazil, as it is the only urban agglomeration to have been entirely planned and it will be remembered in the history of the world due to the nuclear incident that took place in the city in 1987 and left a strong mark on the region. Although Goiania was properly founded on October 24, 1933 by Pedro Ludovico, the plans to build a city that would take over all of the administrative functions in the state were much older. The state of Goias had set this proposal ever since 1753, and the exact location for the new capital was moved several times according to the economical power of its surroundings. Thus, if people firstly relied on gold mines as their most powerful source of income, they later turned to agriculture and cattle rising.

Goiania History – The Foundation Stone

The fundamental moment in Goiania history, however, is when Pedro Ludovico decided to erect the foundation stone in the present territory of the city and thus gave a model to Juscelino Kubitschek, who founded Brasilia. The initial plan was made for 50.000 inhabitants and after the capital of the state was moved to Goiania in 1942, the population started growing very fast, now reaching over 1.200.000 inhabitants. The name of the city also has an interesting history, as it was chosen from a list set forward by a local newspaper. Other alternatives included Petronia, Liberdade, Eldorado and patria Nova, but voters from all over the country finally settled on Goiania.

Goiania History – The Radiation Incident

A controversial and black chapter in Goiania history is what happened to the city in 1987, when radioactive contamination from a medical source ended up killing several people and injuring many others, with consequences visible as far as Uberlandia. This happened because of a radiation source that disappeared from an abandoned hospital and was later handled by many people who almost died. The cleanup process was very complex and necessitated lots of interventions, but legally the only consequence of the incident was charging three doctors with criminal negligence.