Pedro II, nicknamed the Magnanimous, was the second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Pedro II inherited an empire on the verge of disintegration, but he turned Brazil into an emerging power in the international arena. The nation grew to be distinguished from its Hispanic neighbors on account of its political stability, freedom of speech, respect for civil rights, vibrant economic growth, and form of government—a functional representative parliamentary monarchy. Pedro II pushed through the abolition of slavery despite opposition from powerful political and economic interests. The Emperor established a reputation as a vigorous sponsor of learning, culture, and the sciences, and he won the respect and admiration of people such as Charles Darwin, Victor Hugo, and Friedrich Nietzsche, and was a friend to Richard Wagner, Louis Pasteur, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, among others. Historians have regarded the Emperor positively and several have ranked him as the greatest Brazilian. Pedro II was born 200 years ago today in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This 1872 painting depicts the Emperor delivering the speech from the throne and wearing the Imperial Regalia.Painting. credit: Pedro Américo; Photographed by Imperial Museum of Brazil